Machi Yoko Naruto
by antilogicgirl
Summary: In the dark, sinister world of the Yakuza, the word honor is familiar, yet foreign. To Naruto, a man who wants nothing to do with this world, honor is the repaying of a debt...to Uchiha Sasuke, head of Honshu's Yakuza.[yaoi]
1. A Losing Hand

**A/N: **Hello again, my wonderful friends...the time is now 04:01:20 hours. I am the insomniac, once again. Here, we have a great step for me. I have, as previously stated, been having a problem. It is difficult for me to write men, and even more so for me to do Yaoi. I mean, it isn't like I'm a freaky fangirl or anything (no offense to those of you who are...), but I wanted to try it out. I think it keeps things pretty tense in a story, and hell, I just wanted to see if I could. I have also said that I wouldn't be able to do much...but I guess I got bored with schoolwork. I guess I should make with the explanations?

Ahem. I'm assuming that if you've come this far, you've read the summary, so I'll just go with a couple of warnings for the chapter.

**V--**car crash, drive by shooting, blood, gore

**FL--**Naruto's language gets a little coarse

**C--**Japanese terminology used, mostly should be in italics. Definitions provided at the end of the chapter.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

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**Machi Yoko Naruto

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Chapter 1:** A Losing Hand 

"Twenty. I lose again." Huffing as he tossed down his cards, Naruto looked across the table at the dark-haired youth sitting on even darker cushions. "Remind me why I play _hana-fuda_ with you, Shikamaru. You cheat. I know you do. Come on and tell me. You mark the cards, don't you?" The other young man rolled his eyes and shifted on his cushion without replying. He simply picked up the cards, shuffled them, and put them back into the shiny black lacquered box that sat in the middle of the low table. "Why am I here again? What are we waiting for?"

They had been waiting for nearly three hours, and had played seven whole games of _hana-fuda_, five of which Naruto had lost. As previously stated, he was sure that his friend cheated. Shikamaru's disinterested look melted at his question. Looking into Naruto's eyes, he seemed to be searching for something. Finally, he answered him. "An associate of mine wants to meet with you." Naruto's eyes widened.

"You don't mean…" When Shikamaru's expression did not change, Naruto stood to leave. "I told you before, I'm not in the business. I thought you were my friend, Shikamaru." His brows drew down, as did the corners of his mouth, and he turned and walked quickly to the door, picking up his shoes and sliding the screen aside. He had to get out of here before Shikamaru's 'associate' showed up. It wasn't like he wanted to meet with him, whoever he was. Just thinking about it gave him the creeps. But as he stepped out of the door, he was once again reminded how hard it is to escape one's past. Or, in his case, the past of his father.

"Oof!" He had run directly into a solid wall of muscle, much taller than himself, and when he looked up, he saw a forbidding, blocky face, scarred and very brown from the sun. Blinking up at this human wall, he backed away a few paces, and bowed slightly. "Sumimasen. I did not mean to bump into you."

"Move aside, Ibiki." A low and musical voice came from behind the towering man, and the _gurentai_ moved aside with surprising speed and grace. The speaker was revealed, showing Naruto a young man just a little taller than himself and right around his twenty years, wearing a dark suit that matched his hair and eyes, but contrasted greatly with the porcelain-like color of his skin. There was a smirk playing over his lips, and he shook his long bangs out of his eyes to look at Naruto. Raising one eyebrow, he said loudly, "Nara Shikamaru, get out here."

In an instant, Naruto's lazy friend was in the hallway, kneeling in front of the pale young man, and saying in a tone of utter deference, "My apologies, Uchiha-sama. I tried to keep him as long as I could. He's just—" his tone became weary as he continued, "--_troublesome._ Are you certain that you want him?" Naruto stared at his friend. He had never seen Shikamaru like this. This was a man who bowed to no one, let alone _knelt_. Who the hell was this…_oh, shit. Not _that_ Uchiha? Think, Naruto, think. You have _got_ to get away from them. And you need to do it now!_ But try as he might, he could think of absolutely nothing.

The Uchiha stepped around Shikamaru's abased form, and stood directly in front of Naruto, his eyes sizing him up for every inch of his worth. Not one to back down from anyone, Naruto gazed defiantly at the man. "Hn. He'll do. May we go inside, Nara-san?" Shikamaru rose with alacrity, and moved into the room, while the Uchiha followed, and Naruto was prodded along by what he thought might have been either the hilt of a sword, or the barrel of a semi-automatic pistol. He wasn't going to turn around to check, since the towering man, Ibiki, was it? Since Ibiki seemed in a foul mood. "Ibiki, you may wait outside."

The screen slid shut behind him, and Naruto had to make himself not fidget as he stood staring at the scene before him. The dark mahogany table, which was low to the floor, still held the box of cards, but instead of Shikamaru sitting on the cushions where the head-of-household sat, this new man sat there, with the lazy young man sitting rather stiffly in _seiza_ position behind him and to his left. The light of the room, which was brighter than that of the hallway, revealed to him just how pale the Uchiha was. He seemed to glow. Those dark eyes, which Naruto had thought were black, now were only a very dark gray. He seemed to be waiting for something.

After a long moment, Shikamaru sat up straighter, and said in a calm tone, "_Oyabun_, this is Uzumaki Naruto, heir to the Uzumaki clan. Naruto, this is Uchiha Sasuke, _oyabun_ of the Honshu _Yakuza_. Sit." Naruto took a deep breath. He was not in the habit of obeying others, and the commanding tone in his friend's voice made his hackles rise. As calmly as he could, he seated himself directly across the table from the black-haired young man, who was keenly watching his every move. It wasn't as if he weren't used to this sort of treatment. He just hadn't dealt with it in more than a year, since his father died. Sasuke made a small gesture to Shikamaru, and he rose, moving to a cupboard in the corner to retrieve two cups and a bottle of sake.

There was a fire of frustration growing within Naruto now. He was so unused to seeing anyone treat his best friend with so little respect that he had a very acute desire to hit the pale man seated across from him. That, he decided, was a very bad idea, and he employed some of the self-control that his father had instilled in him. Shikamaru was now pouring sake for the _oyabun,_ and for Naruto as well. Naruto looked down at the cup in front of him, not even moving to touch it. The Uchiha, on the other hand, raised the small white ceramic cup to his lips, and inhaled the scent of the liquor before sipping at it with a light smirk.

"Uzumaki Naruto," The young _oyabun_ began, "Your father left something in my family's possession. Nara-san, if you please." Once again, his friend rose, and moved to the cupboard. This time, he brought a small package directly to Naruto. It was wrapped fancily, in silk. He did not need to unwrap it to know what it contained. Its miniscule size told him everything he needed to know.

"Sumimasen, Uchiha-sama, but my father's debts died with him. I am not held by his fate." Naruto kept his voice level, calm, and polite, even though he wanted to jump the five feet of mahogany in front of him and pound the man's smug face into the _tatami_ mat. His words seemed to amuse the _oyabun_, and he shifted his weight from one side to the other, looking for all the world like a small child who was excited at the prospect of eating his favorite ice cream. Yes. That was what he looked like. The excitement in his eyes told of a predatory delight that he must often need to satisfy. If Naruto was good at one thing, he was good at reading people. But this man was a complete mystery.

He knew about him, of course. It was difficult not to. What he did not know was why the bastard looked at him like he was going to kill him at any moment just for the fun of it, or that he was going to do something even worse to him. The amused look never left his eyes as he said, "I am afraid that you are rather mistaken, Uzumaki-san. Your father also left with us formal permission, should anything happen to him before he could discharge his debt, that you were to take his place. I am simply prosecuting my right to that service. You will come with me, and there will be no questions, and no arguments. Is that understood, Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto practically vibrated in his anger toward this completely unfeeling, self-absorbed, smug…_teme._ Oh, that was the precise word to describe him. He seemed not to care that Naruto may not want to serve him. The fact that he had more servants and underlings than any other individual on the island of Honshu did not enter into it. This was the kind of man that could never have enough of anything. He eyed Naruto with a raised brow, as if daring him to refuse. The blonde clutched the edge of the table tightly, wishing that he could break it over the head of this sneering man. Steeling himself and exerting his full arsenal of self-control, he said, "_Hai_, Uchiha-sama. I understand." He lowered his eyes, but then said, "Shikamaru?"

"_Hai_, Naruto-kun?"

"Blood feud." He did not need to see his friend to know that he had just winced. Raising his gaze, his blue eyes were icy. "I will never forgive you for this." His friend bowed his head, top-knot pointing directly toward the ceiling.

"_Hai_. I understand." The voice that came from Shikamaru was defeated. It seemed that blood feud was not necessary, but Naruto would not back down, now that he had called the ancient rite into play. "Name the place, and I will be there." Still in that defeated tone, he said these words, and Naruto knew he was telling the truth. He would not run, and he would not hide. Like the mostly honorable man that he was, Shikamaru would be there on that day when their blood feud was concluded, and he would suffer for his betrayal.

"Not yet, Shikamaru. One day, when you least expect it."

The Uchiha cleared his throat. Naruto looked across the table at him, and saw that he had an expression of exasperation across his delicate features. "If you please, Uzumaki-san. I must be going. You will come with me now." Naruto stood, lowering his eyes, and moved to the door. Opening it, he stood aside.

"_Hai_, _oyabun_. I will follow you." Saying this as politely as he could through clenched teeth, he bowed low, eyes on the floor.

"Stand up straight, dobe. I will not tolerate obsequiousness." Naruto did as instructed, and watched the man exit before him. Casting one last glance at Shikamaru's slumped form, he left the room, not bothering to close the screen. Following in silence, he thought about what had just happened. The situation he now found himself in was not pleasant. He not only had to follow, but when they got to the car, he was made to sit next to the man, since Ibiki took up the whole of the front seat by himself. The ride was long, about three-quarters of an hour, and Naruto could feel himself being watched. Had he not felt eyes on him, he would have fallen asleep, as he always did on long car-rides.

As it was, he did start to doze during the last five minutes of the trip, during which he knew they were on the grounds of the Uchiha compound, even though he was only half-conscious. The car came to a silent stop, and Ibiki squeezed himself out of the car to open the door for his employer. Naruto got out, nearly stumbling over his own feet. "Go and put the car away Ibiki, then go to get some rest. We have a busy day tomorrow." The dark-haired man said, and Ibiki nodded, then shoved himself back into the car to do as he was told. "Come with me, Naruto-san." The informality and familiarity which the main said his name did not escape Naruto's notice, and he filed the information away for future use.

They entered the main doors of the house, and Naruto looked around for a moment. It was a large house, almost a castle. Keeping any sort of wonder out of his expression, he examined his surroundings carefully, memorizing the contents of the room. The dark man started walking again, and Naruto followed silently. It was very quiet, as if no one but the two of them were there at all. He shrugged the thought aside before following behind the other man up a set of stairs and down a long corridor. There was a door a the very end, and he followed through this one as well. This room was much more traditional than the rest of the house.

Where the hallway was marble and carpet, this room had _tatami_ mats covering the floor, and several screens were placed in corners and along the walls to hide various things. The large room was divided into sections. One seemed to be dedicated to a study, while another was a meeting area, and the rest, and by far the vast majority, seemed to be a sleeping area. He stood near the door, waiting for instructions. The dark-haired man glanced over his shoulder at Naruto. "Take off your shoes, dobe."

Again, he shook with rage. He hated being called names. Doing as he was told, he placed his shoes next to the door and waited. The Uchiha moved into the meeting area, then sat at a small table. Naruto sat after being instructed to do so, and he looked over at the man across from him. He didn't like him, that much was sure. Then, the object of his aggravation spoke. "You will call me Sasuke-sama, when we are in public, or if we are around any other servants. When we are alone, you may call me Sasuke." Naruto blinked. What the hell was this man doing? He was breaking protocol, which was the basis of all interactions between _yakuza_. Nodding slowly, he allowed himself to relax a tiny bit. "Shikamaru has told me that you are a master of several forms of martial arts, including weapons. Is this true?"

"_Hai_, Sasuke. I have studied aikido, jujutsu, kung fu and shotokan. The weapons I am proficient with include the bo, sai, kusarigama, spear, and kali, but I have mastered the katana, kodaichi, and wakizashi." Sasuke seemed pleased. Naruto did not understand why he wanted to know about his experience with traditional weapons, since he had a man like Ibiki around. Then again, the Uchiha family was notorious for its reliance upon…older methods of doing things.

So pleased was he that a smile spread over his lips. Not a smirk, but a smile. It was not pleasant, by any means, but it was genuine. "Good, Naruto. You will stay with me at all times, then. You will be provided with the best weapons, and will be my personal bodyguard." Naruto goggled at the man. Was he serious? He had just met him, and he trusted him that much? Sasuke seemed to sense his question. "I can't have a _gurentai_ like Ibiki watching my back for too long, Naruto. He's a ruffian. There are times when there isn't any way to know what he'll do next. I need someone who is more reliable, and whom I can trust." Leaning closer to him, Sasuke said, "I can trust you, can't I?"

Naruto nodded, keeping silent. He didn't trust his voice at the moment. He still did not like the situation. The clock on the wall began to chime, and Naruto glanced at it. It was now midnight. "We have quite a day ahead of us tomorrow, Naruto. I suggest we go to sleep." Sasuke stood, and moved to the sleeping area, where Naruto now noticed two futons laid neatly out. He was a little puzzled. Was he really supposed to be around him all of the time? Would he be allowed to go out? Or was he a prisoner?

"Sumimasen, Sasuke. I was wondering when I would be allowed to go back to my apartment, to collect my things." The dark haired man turned back to him, a curious expression on his face.

"Ibiki will go there and gather your belongings, Naruto, he will—"

"That is unacceptable. He will not touch my father's sword." Naruto's voice was firm, and commanding, and Sasuke was taken completely aback by it. His eyes had gone wide, and his mouth hung open a little. Apparently, he wasn't used to having his orders contradicted.

"Naruto, that's enough. Ibiki will—"

"_No, _he will _not._ He can touch anything but my father's sword. No one is allowed to touch it but me, and anyone that does will not live to un-sheath it." Again, Sasuke was surprised. Naruto was, by nature, a gentle soul, but it took only disrespect to his family, or the handling of his family's most precious relic to make him absolutely murderous. For a long moment, they only stared at one another, eyes the color of charcoal burning into those that rivaled the sea. Neither blinked. It was, in a way, a battle of wills. Naruto was not in the least bit unsettled by the other man's gaze, and he would admit that while he might be testing his boundaries a bit, he would not, under any circumstances, allow any other human being to touch his father's blade. No. It was his, now. He was the heir, and since his father had been killed, he was the head of the clan. Now, he was merely a servant. It more than rankled him to think of it, but he would discharge his father's debt.

Finally, Sasuke looked away. "Fine. First thing in the morning, we will go to your apartment. You will take only those things that you absolutely need." That, Naruto decided, would be the sword, and a handful of other things. "Clothing has already been prepared for you, and is in the far right-hand closet. You will be well provided for, Naruto. Do you have any other concerns?"

"No."

"Good. Now get dressed for bed." Sasuke was smirking again, and Naruto nearly rolled his eyes, but stopped himself just in time. He went to the designated closet, and opened it. At the sight of what lay within, he raised an eyebrow. Every scrap of clothing in the oversized walk-in closet was in dark, subdued grays, blues, and browns, and every bit of it was in the traditional style. _Kimono_, _hakama_, _tabi_, everything. He sighed. It seemed that he was doomed to a life of formality, when he was anything but.

Pulling a dark gray _yukata_ from a hanger, he hung it on a hook that was attached to the back of the door, then removed his clothes, tossing them into the basket on the far wall of the closet. Once he had belted the thin cotton robe around himself, he sighed gently again and turned back to the futon, closing the door to the closet. A thought occurred to him, and he moved to the door, locking it, then checked that the windows were in the same state. He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him, watching him with a penetrating gaze. When everything was checked, he turned back to Sasuke. "Everything is locked, Sasuke."

"_Hai_. _Oyasumi-nasai_, Naruto." The man lowered himself gracefully to the futon, and covered himself with the blanket, then said, "Lights. Off." Instantly, darkness flooded the room, broken only by square pools of light left by the windows, scattered about the floor. Naruto lay down on his own futon, apprehensive about his new life. He hated the thought of being a servant. He liked the idea of serving Sasuke even less. The reputation of the Uchiha family was brutal. The eldest of the ruling family, Itachi, had murdered their father, mother, and sisters, then disappeared. Sasuke, everyone knew, had sworn revenge, but he had to find the man, first. As Naruto closed his eyes, he saw his father's eyes before him, and he could not sleep.

* * *

"This is ridiculous. What is the problem now?" Sasuke leaned against the wall outside the bathroom, as Naruto squawked indignantly. He peeked around the doorframe, and was rather amused when he saw Naruto being dressed. All of the clothing that Sasuke had personally chosen for the blonde was traditional, right down to his undergarments, and it was this that his bodyguard was not wanting to let the maid touch. 

"I can do that _myself,_ thank you!" He was swatting at her hands, and the girl was giggling madly and blushing. The maid, a boy-crazy girl of fifteen, was trying to adjust the cloth that covered Naruto's genitalia. With an almighty effort, Naruto grabbed both of the girl's hands and said, "Get out of here. Right now. If I needed help in dressing myself, I would ask for it." Shocked and hurt, the girl ran from the room. Sasuke chuckled as Naruto huffed exasperatedly and ripped the under-_kimono_ from its hanger, then carefully threaded his arms into the sleeves and tied it shut. He would be a lot of fun to have around, simply because he got angry so easily.

Walking into the bathroom to brush his teeth, he said, "Aren't you done yet, _dobe_?"

"Don't call me that, Sasuke!" Naruto snapped, causing Sasuke to smirk as Naruto belted a black silk _kimono _around himself. The resulting image was rather impressive, Sasuke had to admit. The seamstresses had done their jobs well, for the garments fit the blonde man perfectly, allowing for freedom of movement while still displaying his leanly muscular physique to its utmost benefit. Of course, the pouting expression on Naruto's face ruined the dignity of the picture. Sasuke decided then and there that he would have to work on that. He couldn't have his closest servant acting like a child all of the time. It simply wasn't the way that his family did things.

As he brushed his teeth, he glanced over at Naruto, who was at the other sink, splashing his face with water and then drying it and brushing his own teeth. The best thing about him was that he would provide Sasuke with some free entertainment, he decided. It was, in fact, rather amusing to watch him get all huffy. Once he had rinsed his mouth, Sasuke went out into the bedroom and settled down to wait for Naruto to be finished dressing and grooming himself. He had expected a pretty-boy like Naruto to take forever, but was surprised to find that not two minutes after he had seated himself, Naruto was out of the bathroom and fully dressed. Minus shoes, that is. The sandals provided for him were still in the closet, and he moved to get them.

He seemed very different from what Sasuke had expected. Naruto's father, he had met, and he had thought that the man was obnoxious to the point of idiocy. Naruto resembled him greatly, though Sasuke wondered where those eyes had come from, since his father and mother both had brown eyes. He had inherited his father's practiced grace, though Naruto seemed more fluid in his movements, more willowy.

Sasuke had done research into Naruto's background, family, and behavior, and found that he was the perfect choice for a bodyguard. He'd had his two best spies working together for once, gathering all of the information they could on him, and it had paid off. All in all, he knew that Naruto was an honorable man, mostly gentle and unassuming, and fiercely loyal once you gained his respect. He also never went back on his word, which was why Sasuke had relented in their argument earlier. Ibiki may be only a _gurentai_, but he did not want the man dead. He was very useful when intimidation was necessary.

Naruto brought out his shoes and placed them near the door. He turned to Sasuke, waiting, a look of anxiety in his eyes. Sasuke nearly sighed. "All right. Let's go to your apartment. Then, breakfast." His first spy, a girl just younger than himself, had taken note of Naruto's behavioral habits, diet, and other personal information, and while most of it was pleasing, the one thing that bothered him was the fact that the man ate ramen, almost exclusively. Sakura had expressed a sense of wonder at the fact that Naruto was still alive. Of course, Sasuke would be the one to choose where they ate, so it would not be a problem. Naruto would eat the things that Sasuke knew were healthy for him. He needed him in top performing shape. So, he said with an air of finality, "No ramen."

Naruto's jaw dropped. As Sasuke reached past him to unlock the door, he used one finger to push the blonde's jaw closed. Sasuke slipped his shoes on and walked out into the hallway, followed shortly by Naruto. Servants passed them as they walked to the main foyer of the house, and Sasuke listened to the clicking of his dress shoes on the marble floors contrast against the soft organic rasp of the straw sandals Naruto wore. It was a sound that lulled him, though he did not let his guard down entirely. He had only to gain the respect of the man striding behind him, and he would have someone who would be a faithful servant for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately, Sasuke knew from the work of his other spy, Ino, that Naruto's respect was not easily gained. It was a trait of the Uzumaki clan to be notoriously stubborn, and he was already finding out that the present heir was no exception. As they came to the front door of the house, Sasuke stood motionless, and Naruto moved ahead of him. He knew every protocol in the world of the _yakuza_, since his father had belonged to it, and Sasuke smiled as Naruto opened the door and peered suspiciously out of it before stepping aside and letting Sasuke through to approach the car that Ibiki sat in, waiting for them. Sasuke slid into the back seat of the car, the fabric of his dark suit sliding over the leather in a mere whisper. Naruto soon followed, and shut the door.

The ride to Naruto's apartment was silent, during which the blonde looked out of the window, and Sasuke looked at him. Lounging in his seat, Sasuke leaned against the locked door of the car, covertly watching Naruto from behind his stubborn bangs. "Sasuke-sama?" Blinking, the young crime boss snapped out of his observation of the other man.

"_Hai_, Naruto-san?"

"With all respect, Sasuke-sama, would you please not stare at me? It makes me paranoid." Naruto had turned his body to face him now, and watched Sasuke with a kind of frustrated anger in his eyes. Amusement, as well as a little frustration of his own passed through Sasuke's mind. He was about to say something when Ibiki brought the car to a sudden stop, and Naruto's eyes widened, staring past Sasuke's face. Suddenly, Sasuke found himself being hauled downward by the lapels of his suit as Naruto shoved him to the floor on his back and flopped on top of him. The windows imploded as bullets began to riddle the car. Aside from the metallic noise of lead piercing the doors of the car, and glass shattering, there was the unmistakable wet sound of bullets entering a human body, and Sasuke nearly choked.

He squirmed under Naruto's grip as the young man tried to keep him on the floor. "Ibiki! Ibiki, get down! If you can hear me, get _down!_" His voice was muffled by Naruto's chest, since his bodyguard had covered him and sheltered his head with his arms, pressing his face to the front of his _kimono_. The man above him gently let go of his head after the gunfire ceased, and looked around, and out of the windows.

"_Oh, shit! Hold on, Sasuke!_" Naruto yelled. Getting down once again, Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's head protectively, and braced himself with his legs. Then, there was a sudden, violent and repeated jarring of the vehicle, as it was struck by a car, then another and another. Soon, the impacts were enough to rattle Sasuke's brain, and was he mistaken, or did he smell gasoline? With the last impact, Naruto gave a grunt as his head hit the passenger side door, and then Sasuke heard tires squealing on the pavement as the other cars obviously sped away. He began to feel heat coming at him from the front of the car, and then he felt Naruto lifting his head again. His bodyguard shifted slightly, and looked down at him. "_Daijoubu desu ka_, Sasuke?"

"_Hai, daijoubu_. Ibiki?" The tightness around Naruto's eyes said that the man was dead, and Sasuke stifled a strangled cry. Suddenly, the heat coming from the front of the car grew more intense. He smelled smoke, and gasoline once again. "Naruto, get off of me and get the door open. The car is on fire."

The blonde smirked down at him for a mere instant, then said, "No need." Deftly, Naruto merely braced his hands, one on each side of Sasuke's head on the floorboard of the car, and kicked the passenger door once, causing the battered and torn metal to give way. How strong _was_ he? Naruto then heaved himself off of Sasuke and out of the car, then yanked his new employer out onto the sidewalk and began to run, dragging Sasuke along behind him. When he stumbled, Naruto yelled, "Oi, _teme_! Move your ass! The car's about to blow—" before he could say "up," the car did exactly as Naruto had predicted it would, throwing the both of them nearly six meters through the air, with the blast wave. Sasuke was surprised once again when, in mid air, he was yanked to Naruto's chest in a protective manner, and held there even as Naruto's back connected with the brick wall of a pastry shop.

They landed in a heap on the ground, Naruto on the bottom, and Sasuke blinked down at the now unconscious young man. For someone who appeared not to like the situation he was in, he surely did his job well, and faithfully. Sasuke looked around fretfully. He needed to get help. Swallowing audibly, he glanced down at Naruto. It would be utterly dishonorable if he were to allow this man to die, now that he had saved his life three times in five minutes.

After a moment, he found a street-sign. They were only two blocks from Naruto's apartment. If he could carry the blonde for two blocks, then he could at least get to a phone and call for help. How he himself had gotten away without even a scratch was beyond him, and he wondered about it as he hauled Naruto up from the ground, noticing that the young man was bleeding not only from several minor scrapes on his face and neck, but also from a rather bad gash on the side of his head. He slung Naruto over his shoulder and proceeded the two blocks to their destination.

Now, having arrived at Naruto's building, he blinked. He called this an apartment? It could hardly be described as that. It was an old fire station, which had been converted into living quarters, a dojo, a library, and in the back, a greenhouse. While the walls were still raw brick, it was well furnished, and Sasuke stared in wonder at the dojo, where so many weapons hung, and then again at the library, which held as many books as his own did. Naruto did not seem like the type to read much.

He did not think he would be able to carry Naruto up the spiral staircase, so he got into the freight elevator, and when it stopped on the second floor, he exited and looked around him in surprise. There were only a few things to be seen here. One was a large futon that looked able to hold six people, and a small shrine to Naruto's mother and father, which looked to be well used. Finally, there was a separate area set aside with a low, flat table of walnut, polished to a high sheen, and positioned directly in the center of this was a stand that held a _katana_, a _kodaichi_, and a _wakizashi_. They were all in sheaths stained a dark blue, inlayed with flame maple in a geometric pattern near the top of the sheath, and lacquered. Those would be Naruto's family swords.

Sasuke tore his eyes away from them to lay Naruto as gently as possible down on his own futon, then he went to find the telephone. It was in the kitchen, and he picked it up, dialing the number for his home. "Hello? Sakura? Yes, it's me. Send someone to Uzumaki Naruto's apartment immediately, and inform Tsunade that there has been an accident, and she should meet us here as well. Get Kakashi to make arrangements for Ibiki's funeral. He's dead." At this, he had to choke back a sob. Ibiki was a rough man, but he had served Sasuke's family for a long time, and he was like an uncle to him. The girl on the other end of the line said that she would do as she was told, and then he heard her burst into tears before she hung up the phone.

* * *

**Japanese terms used:**

**Kimono**: a robe-like garment worn by both men and women in Japan

**Tabi**: socks that are divided between the big toe and the rest

**Hakama**: pants worn by men in Japan for the practice of Kendo, or swordplay

**Katana**: a Japanese full-length sword, standard length, approximately 1.4 meters

**Kodaichi**: a sword slightly shorter than the katana, with a longer hilt.

**Bo**: a bladeless staff weapon

**Kasurigama**: a sickle-like weapon on a chain

**Kali**: a short stick-like weapon 

**Wakizashi**: a short sword, often paired with a katana as a spare

**Hana-fuda**: a Japanese card game, in which a hand equaling 20 is losing.

**Daijoubu desu ka?**: Are you okay?

**Hai**: yes

**Seiza:** a position often sat in by those who practice martial arts. The legs are folded under the body, knees spread apart, with feet on either side of the hips.

**Oyabun:** boss. Here, a crime boss.

**Gurentai**: a hoodlum, a goon, or a ruffian

**Oyasumi-nasai**: Good night 

**Teme**: connotation is usually "bastard".

**Dobe**: connotation is usually "idiot" or "moron".

**Aikido**: a Japanese style of martial arts utilizing an attacker's momentum to take them down. Jujutsu: here, the definition used is relevant to Daito-ryu (a Japanese marital art), which is basicially "a way to stop violence, not to create it".

**Kung fu**: a Chinese style of martial arts, properly referred to in China as "Gung fu", and practiced by Shaolin monks, and noted film star, Bruce Lee 

**Shotokan**: A Japanese martial art, usually the one thought of when one refers to "Karate".

* * *

**A/N:** I really need all of the feedback I can get on this, since this has been a pet project of mine for the last six months. Please, review. Any feedback is appreciated, but keep in mind that flames should be limited to constructive topics, not the pairings found in the story (though none are apparent at this point). 


	2. Skin

**A/N:** Okay. Here's chapter 2. I know I said I probably wouldn't be able to get this up for a week or so, but here I am, neglecting schoolwork like mad. So, for this chapter, we see just a tiny, tiny bit of the yaoi that I have planned. But only if you squint, and look at it from the corner of your eye. Well, maybe it's a little bit clearer than that, but nobody acts on anything. So, on to our warnings, shall we? Warnings:

**FL--**Naruto's language. Again.

**V--**Sasuke is not a morning person, and he lets Naruto know it.

**Y--**very, very slight yaoi-ishness. It's coming. Wait for it...

**C--**Japanese terms used, again. Those should be in italics, and they'll be defined at the end of the chapter.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor. He also owns my soul.

* * *

**Machi Yoko Naruto

* * *

Chapter 2:** Skin

* * *

Sasuke hung up the phone, and went upstairs to check on Naruto. To his surprise, the man was sitting up. _He must be made of steel…_"Lay down, you idiot." He said as he pushed him back onto the futon then removed his jacket and tie. After unbuttoning the top three buttons of his shirt and rolling up his sleeves, he sat down next to Naruto. "Let me see your head." Sasuke grabbed the sides of his face and tilted it to the right, so that he could get a better view of the gash on Naruto's scalp. "Hn. I don't think you'll need stitches, but it needs to get cleaned. Where else are you hurt?" The other man moved his limbs experimentally, then twisted his back, but winced almost immediately at that. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He immediately untied the _obi_ on Naruto's _kimono_, then unfastened the tie for the under-_kimono_. Taking hold of Naruto's arm, he turned him onto his stomach. "This might hurt a little," he said as he felt the fabric of the _kimono_ was damp with blood. He stripped the fabric away, leaving Naruto naked above the waist.

His eyes widened at what he saw. Or, they widened at what they did _not_ see. Unlike Sasuke's own back, his skin was free of any designs painted in ink. There was a large gash down the left side of his back, though, and it was still oozing blood. "Stay there. Do you have any bandages?"

"In the bathroom, to the left. There's a cupboard, and it has first aid stuff in it." Naruto's voice was tense, and Sasuke could tell he was in pain. He needed to stop the bleeding, and clean the wounds before Tsunade got there. She would beat him senseless, no matter who he was, if he didn't do everything he could for one of his own people. Almost frantically, Sasuke rummaged through Naruto's cabinets, finding a washcloth, a small bowl, and some antiseptic, as well as cotton balls. He filled the bowl with cool water, and brought the lot of it out to where Naruto still lay on the futon. He pulled Naruto's kimono off of him as gently as he could, and threw it aside. Then, he covered the man up to his waist with one of the blankets from the futon and set to work. The wounds were clean in a matter of moments, though he had to leave the cloth on the enormous cut on Naruto's back, to keep soaking up the blood. The antiseptic made the blonde wince, and mutter "_Teme…_" several times under his breath.

When he lifted the cloth from the deep wound on Naruto's back, he found that it was still bleeding. "Naruto, I'm going to have to apply pressure to your back. I just wanted you to know, so you don't freak out." Sasuke knelt on Naruto's left side, and rinsed the cloth in the bowl, then put it back onto the cut that was more than a foot long. Biting his lip, he placed both hands on the cloth, then started to lean gently on it, slowly increasing pressure until he was using a good bit of his body-weight. A slight shift of the prone man's arms showed him that Naruto was gripping the cloth of the futon, and that he was in a lot of pain, though he did not make a sound. Sasuke looked at his face, which was now covered in sweat from the exertion of not crying out. "I know it hurts. Just…try to relax."

A strangled laugh came from Naruto. "Easy for you to say. You don't have an enormous slash up your back."

"Keep your mouth shut, _dobe_." He felt the muscles in Naruto's back tense as he said that. He obviously did not like that term. Sasuke began to think. Everything that Shikamaru had told him about Naruto was true, as well as the corroborating stories that Ino and Sakura had given him, but there were other sides to him, as well. As good as the girls were, they had neither of them been able to gain access to Naruto's home. He was apparently a very private person. Ino had even attempted to seduce him, to no avail. Sasuke nearly shivered at that thought. Ino was a very scary person, and he didn't want to think about her having sex with _anyone_, let alone someone he shared a room with. His grip slipped momentarily, and one hand went sliding up to the middle of Naruto's back, and he thought he might have opened the wound more.

Naruto tensed visibly, and let out a sharp cry. Then, he said, "Sasuke! If you can't find a way to keep pressure on it, then just put a fucking pressure bandage on it and get it the fuck over with. That fucking hurt, _teme!_" Balking at the blonde's use of profanity, he shook his head, refusing to dignify that outburst with any sort of verbal response. Instead, he shifted his position. The only stable position he could find was one that would not open the wound more. He straddled Naruto's backside, and applied firm downward pressure to the wound. The muscles in his back relaxed to a certain degree, and Sasuke nearly sighed in relief. "_Arigato_, Sasuke. That's much better." After twenty minutes of this, Sasuke's shoulders began to tire. He shifted again, this time using his body to put pressure on the spot. He simply could not hold his position, so he lay on the wound. "Sasuke? What are you doing?" There was a slight hitch in Naruto's voice as he spoke, showing his discomfort.

"My arms are tired. I'm still applying pressure. It doesn't hurt more, does it?" Sasuke rested his face on Naruto's left shoulder, looking to the right, and thought he could see a frown on the blonde man's face.

"No. It's fine. I was just wondering." Sasuke found that Naruto's breathing had begun to even out after a while, and he momentarily wondered if he was asleep. He had his left hand on the floor, and his right rested on a broad, lightly tanned shoulder, devoid of any decoration. The skin of Naruto's back fascinated him. Sasuke had his first tattoo when he was nine, the first of many. But Naruto was clean. He had no stains on him, and Sasuke found that to be amazing. How could someone so close to the violent and dirty life that the _yakuza _led be so un-blemished? There were times when Sasuke felt like no matter how hard he scrubbed, he could never get rid of the taint that clung to him, because of the life he led. Naruto's purity of body seemed to be mirrored in his spirit, from what Sasuke could tell. Whatever emotion Naruto felt, it was pure, and intense. That was the feeling he got from him.

His mind wandering as it was, he did not notice the thumb on his right hand absently stroking the smooth skin of Naruto's shoulder. In the back of his mind, he commented on the firmness of the muscle, the softness of the skin that covered it, and the way it moved with each breath that Naruto took. However, these thoughts were not truly conscious ones, as Sasuke soon allowed the breathing of the man beneath him lull him, and he was nearly asleep when he heard a door open, and a feminine voice.

"Sasuke-san? Are you here?" That would be Tsunade. Her family had served the Uchiha for centuries, until she became a doctor, breaking that official service. She still made herself available for house calls to the Uchiha compound, however.

He called down to her. "_Hai_. Up here, Tsunade-san."

Her footsteps echoed through the open building. When she entered Naruto's bedroom, she raised an eyebrow at Sasuke. "I don't think I know this technique, Sasuke-san. Care to explain it?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and wearily pushed himself off of Naruto's body.

"I had been applying pressure to a large wound on his back. Unlike _you_, I don't have limitless strength and stamina. My arms got tired. So I used the next best thing." He said this so matter-of-factly, as if she should have known all along that he was doing it for that reason, but he narrowed his eyes in suspicion at her for a moment before he let his usual indifferent expression slide over his features. Yes, the position was awkward. He realized that. Of course, it could be construed in a bad way. And since this _was _Tsunade, she did think of it in a bad way, and there wasn't much of anything he could do about it. Refuting it would do no good, since the woman made up her mind about situations very quickly.

"Oh, Sasuke-san flatters me. Now that you're done molesting him, I'll take it from here. Go downstairs and wait." He did as she asked, and found himself wandering around the greenhouse after a few minutes.

* * *

"Naruto-san, is it?" The blonde woman asked, and he looked up at her. He nodded. "I see Sasuke-san has taken good care of you. What happened?" Naruto told her about the shooting, and how they tried to finish the job by making sure that the car ended up exploding. "You must be very good at your job, Naruto-san. Sasuke-san doesn't have so much as a scratch on him."

"My first day." He said this in a bland tone. If they had not been on their way to his apartment, would they still have been attacked? There was a considerable amount of guilt washing over him now. He didn't like the job he was given. Naruto despised hurting people. If it were up to him, he never would have learned martial arts. But, as it was, he was exceptional at them. Fate seemed to laugh at him every day. How else would you explain the fact that he was the best at what he hated most?

From the time he was four years old, he was training at something. At first, he had thought that it was a game, until his first time training with real weapons at the age of seven. It had been a _wakizashi_, and he was sparring with his father, who was armed with a _shinai_. He had sheared the shinai neatly in half, and come within a hair's breadth of slitting his father's throat when he stopped, and realized that it was not a practice sword he was handling. This was a thing that could kill people. Every time he held a sword, for practice or otherwise, he saw his father's face as he stopped his movement, then dropped the blade to the floor and backed away from where it lay.

His eyes had been wide, and his mouth had been slightly open. It was an expression of total disbelief. How could a seven-year-old boy get inside his guard? That was the last time Naruto ever sparred with his father. From then on, he had various sensei, each teaching him different things, every one more advanced than the next, and they worked him hard. Eventually, he surpassed them all. Naruto was not modest by any means, but he was not one to brag unnecessarily. The fact that he had actually mastered all of the weapons in his dojo was one that few knew, and he was not going to reveal his full capability, even if Sasuke practically owned him.

"I hope your second day is quieter, Naruto-san." Tsunade said in a low tone as she used a substance very like super-glue to seal up his wounds. He smiled weakly before making his reply.

"So do I," he said, closing his eyes. He could breathe easier now that Sasuke was not on his back, and he took full advantage of it. _Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke. _He thought over the man with whom he would spend nearly all of his waking hours. He was abrupt, almost abrasive, but Naruto could deal with that. The man monopolized his time, though he couldn't say he had much else to do, so that didn't really bother him that much. What he had a hard time dealing with was the way Sasuke looked at him. It was difficult for him to have Sasuke staring at him, watching him. Wasn't he the bodyguard? He was the one who was supposed to do the watching. _Why_ did he keep staring at him? It was like he was trying to see his brain working or something. It didn't make him uncomfortable, per se, but he just had to wonder what the man was thinking when he looked at him with those penetrating charcoal-colored eyes.

When the woman was finished with patching him up, she rolled him onto his right side, and put pillows under his head to prop it up. "I'm going to be going now, Naruto-san. You take care of yourself, and of Sasuke-san, too. He's my favorite patient." Naruto nodded, and watched her descend the stairs. She seemed nice enough. Moments later, he heard footsteps coming back up the staircase. Sasuke appeared at the head of the stairs, an almost concerned look on his face.

"_Daijoubu desu ka, _Naruto?"

"_Daijoubu._" Naruto relaxed into the softness of the pillows and the futon. "I'm tired, Sasuke. Can I take a nap before we leave?" Sasuke nodded, and moved to the futon and sat next to his head, looking over Tsunade's handiwork. He then leaned over Naruto to look at his back, and seemed pleased.

"I don't think you'll have much in the way of scars from today, Naruto." His voice was weary, and when he started to get up, Naruto grabbed at his arm. "What?" Naruto thought that his voice sounded a bit sharp at that, but he put it off to general annoyance.

"If you're tired, lay down. Bed's big enough for both of us." Naruto could have been imagining things, but he thought he saw a slight blush come over Sasuke's face as his sleepy voice came out. He blinked, and it was gone. _Well, I did smack my head pretty good on that door, and then there was the wall…_ Suffice it to say that Naruto was thinking that he might have a little bit of a scramble where his brain was concerned. After a moment of simply staring down at him, Sasuke pulled a pillow toward him and lay down. Naruto simply let go of him to allow him to lay as he liked, and then closed his eyes. It took only five minutes for him to be asleep.

* * *

Sasuke was tired, but he could not sleep. He was thinking about what had happened so far. It was only eleven thirty in the morning, and already, he had been shot at, bashed, and had his ass saved multiple times by a man he had only met the day before. All in all, these events made him want to trust Naruto implicitly, or kill him in his sleep. On the one hand, he was interesting and did his job well, but on the other, he had a tendency to be obstinate. Perhaps it was for this reason that he found his guard relaxing when he was around. Was that why he wanted him around at all times? He realized that he had meant that literally. Sasuke did not want Naruto to be away from him. Trust was not something he gave easily, and when he did, it was always a very special case. He could count on one hand the number of people he trusted. Those people included: Tsunade, Sakura, Ino, Kakashi, and now, Naruto. Every one was an exception to the strict rules and barriers that he had set up around his life.

Sakura and Ino were half-sisters. They were Sasuke's cousins from his mother's side of the family. They had been orphaned when their father murdered Sakura's mother, Ino's stepmother, and then killed himself. Sakura had, at the tender age of six, been the one to find him. It had taken seven years of therapy to get her to speak, but when she did, she could repeat exactly conversations that she had witnessed years prior. Ino was the stronger of the two, and was always protecting Sakura. At nineteen, Sakura was shy, reserved, and pretty. Ino was twenty, and had a brash manner, as well as a penchant for persuasion.

Kakashi…now there was an interesting story. He had been a police officer. By a bizarre twist of fate involving a shipload of Chinese immigrants, a ton of C-4 explosives, and twenty members of the Ho-Fung Triad, he wound up in the debt of the Uchiha family. A strange but fiercely loyal man, Kakashi was now what could possibly be considered by some a perfect example of the classic _yakuza _model. He wore strange clothes, and carried more weapons than Sasuke could count easily. Yes, he was _kabuki-mono_.

And now, there was Naruto. He really couldn't explain why he trusted him. It certainly wasn't his background, or his father's past behavior. His father had been a foolhardy, annoying, absolutely abrasive individual. There was a reason that he was in debt to the Uchiha, but Sasuke didn't want to think about it. He never thought about anything that involved his brother, unless he wanted to kill something. And then, that happened only rarely. His eyelids drifted shut, and he found himself falling asleep before he could stop it.

* * *

The moon shone in through the large windows on the far wall, and he sat up. Every inch of his body hurt. Looking around, he took in his surroundings. Everything was as it had been before, with the exception of a lump next to him on the futon. Naruto looked down at the lump. It had dark hair, and skin that seemed to shine in the moonlight. Sasuke. Naruto didn't like him. He _really_ didn't like him. He didn't like the man's cocky attitude, or the way he looked at him, or even the way he parted his hair. That was settled. He didn't like the man. Naruto was stuck protecting a man he disliked. That didn't make his job any easier.

His job…grumbling, he got up from the bed, and padded to the bathroom, thinking about his job. He knew that not all bodyguards had the same kind of familiar relationship to their employers. His father's bodyguards were tools, literally, and figuratively. Not only were they there to be used, they were assholes, as well. He grumbled as he removed his underwear and stepped into the shower. Thinking of how Sasuke had taken care of him, he realized that his thoughts were less than fair. After a moment of internal honesty, he admitted to himself that if things kept on the way they were, he might actually like Sasuke enough to consider him a friend. That was completely against protocol, but protocol had gone out of the window the night before when Sasuke defined the parameters of their working relationship.

Naruto wasn't going to scrub himself with the way he felt. He just wanted to stand under the spray. It flowed over him, weighing down his hair so that the long golden spikes were plastered wetly over his head, but mostly in his face. When he felt that he was clean enough, he turned off the water and reached out of the shower door for the towel on the door. He dried himself while being extremely careful of his fresh wounds, and then wrapped the fluffy towel around his waist. Having done this, Naruto walked out into the bedroom, and then into his closet. He opened the door and peered inside, attempting to find the stack of pajama pants he usually had. Sasuke was still asleep, and the nap the Naruto had requested turned into a seventeen-hour sleep marathon.

* * *

When morning came, Naruto woke up first. He was still sore as hell from being banged up, slashed, bruised, and basically shaken like a rag doll. His eyes opened, and immediately tried to close again. But, he supposed he should get up and dress himself. The clothes that he had worn the day before were ruined, and though he knew he would have to wear _kimono_ and _hakama_ for a very long time unless Sasuke said otherwise, he didn't have to be happy about it. He went to the closet and pulled out a pair of extra-baggy burnt orange cargo shorts, a white short-sleeved t-shirt with the kanji for 'mountain' on it in black, and a pair of flip-flops. Now _that_ was comfort. He didn't feel stifled. Maybe it would be different if he were wearing the _hakama_, but the _kimono_ just made him feel like he was smothering.

From the closet door, he called, "Sasuke! Wake up!" The dark-haired young man groaned and rolled over, burrowing deeper into the blankets. Naruto kicked off the flip-flops, and walked over to the futon. After kneeling next to Sasuke's head, he poked the other man in the forehead, and saw his eyes open. The next thing he knew, he was face down on the floor, Sasuke's knee pressed between his shoulder blades, and the arm attached to the finger he used to poke him with twisted behind his back.

"I get up on my own, _usuratonkachi_. Got it?" When Naruto did not answer immediately, he flipped him over onto his back and sat on his chest. Naruto glared up at him, annoyance creeping into his thoughts. Cocking his head to one side, he said, "Don't look at me like that. I think we need to make some ground rules. There are certain ways that I do not like to be touched. What you just did is one of them." His head tilted to the other side, shifting his weight slightly on his chest. "Other things you should know: never mention my brother around me, don't leave my presence, and no ramen." Naruto narrowed his eyes as he looked up at Sasuke. Was he joking about the ramen? He had to be. Right? There was a slight upward turn to the corners of his mouth, but that could just be him having a moment of amusement at Naruto's expense.

Even if he wasn't joking, Naruto knew he would only eat what Sasuke allowed him to. How low could one man sink? He had thought he was as low as he could be when he was pressed into service. It appeared that he had been wrong. So, he said, "_Hai, _Sasuke. I got those rules. I want to ask you something. You don't seem like you need a bodyguard. If you can do that to me, then you don't need protecting. Why do you need me?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I don't feel like discussing it right now. Do you mind if I borrow some of your clothes?" He shook his head, an watched as Sasuke went to his closet and pulled out a pair of white shorts, a black long-sleeved t-shirt, and another pair of flip-flops. When Sasuke had pulled his shirt off, Naruto blinked. From the top of his shoulders to the base of his spine, there was not one patch of skin that did not have a fanciful design in ink over its surface. The most dominant image stretched from his left shoulder down the center of his back to where his pants began. It was a green serpentine dragon, whose body was wrapped around a stylized fan in red and white. This was the symbol of the Uchiha clan. The word "_uchiha_," after all, is only another way of saying "_uchiwa,_" which means "fan." Flowers, waves, and scrollwork surrounded the dragon, all in blacks and reds. It made the dragon seem as if it were going to slither off of Sasuke's back. The way his muscles moved under his skin only served to enhance the effect.

Only when the dark cotton of the t-shirt slid into place over the tattoo did Naruto take his eyes from Sasuke. How long had it taken to have something like that done? Did he get it done all at once? He remembered seeing his father's tattoo numerous times, but it was nothing like what he had just witnessed. Whatever the circumstances, something like that had to hurt. A lot. Closing his eyes, he sighed and rolled over onto his stomach, pulling one of the pillows to lay his head on it. Sasuke took a surprisingly short amount of time to dress himself. He had pegged him for one of those guys who liked to check themselves in the mirror just as much as girls do, but apparently, he had been mistaken.

When he felt something nudging his stomach, he shied away from it, groaning. He had just gotten comfortable. "Oi, _dobe_, get up. I'm not carrying you again." That made Naruto's eyes open. Again? Sasuke had been the one to carry him here? That prospect had simply never occurred to him. Maybe one of the reasons he had not realized Sasuke might be able to handle himself was the thin and delicate frame that the man had. It seemed as if he would break in half if Naruto touched him. He put that thought out of his mind, since it was obviously false. He blinked up at Sasuke owlishly. That almost-smile found its way onto Sasuke's lips, and his fingers closed on Naruto's wrist in an iron grip, and he found himself being pulled to his feet.

"Okay, okay! I'm getting up!" He wrenched away from him, rubbing his wrist, and thinking that he was sore enough, thank you very much. The last thing Naruto wanted was to have yet another bruise. Suddenly, Naruto realized that he was starving. They had fallen asleep some time around noon the day before, and had not eaten at all. He ran down the stairs to the kitchen to make something to eat, and heard Sasuke following him.

That low and musical voice drifted over from the foot of the stairs. "No ramen, Naruto."

Shooting a hateful glare at his employer, he removed his hand from the cabinet it was in, and moved to the next one. There, he had spices and herbs. Taking a few of these out, he placed them on the counter and pulled a skillet from the lower cabinet. A trip to the large refrigerator brought out ham and eggs, as well as the remaining fourth of a Bermuda onion. He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him again, watching him. After he had browned the ham and cooked the onions enough, he poured the mixture of six eggs and the herbs he had taken out into the pan on top of the already cooked meat and onions. Delicious smells pervaded the kitchen, and Naruto's stomach began to growl. An instant later, Sasuke's stomach joined in, forming a strange kind of chorus. It did not surprise him that the other man was hungry, since he had fasted for as long as Naruto had. Lowering the flame under the still-cooking eggs, he went to the cupboard nearest the refrigerator and took out a loaf of bread, then some cheese from the refrigerator.

As he sliced the bread and cheese, he could feel Sasuke inching closer to the food. A stealthy hand stole around Naruto's right side, but was quickly slapped away. "No. Wait just a few more minutes." He did not need to turn around to see Sasuke's annoyed expression. There was an almost growling noise coming from the man behind him now, and Naruto rolled his eyes and glanced at him. "Go…sit down in the library. I'll bring the food out. Don't look at me like that, Sasuke. You'll be fed and watered. It will just take a few minutes. Food doesn't cook itself, you know." He sounded like his mother. Wrinkling his nose, he returned to slicing the cheese into thin square pieces.

In less than five minutes, he had finished cooking, and put the pan into the dishwasher. He took the food and put it all on a tray, along with plates, and two pitchers (one with milk, the other full of orange juice), a small kettle filled with green tea, and chopsticks, napkins, and cups. Having done this, Naruto brought it into the library. Sasuke was leafing through a large leather-bound volume in the middle of the table. "Please don't do that, Sasuke. It's very old. The oils from your hands are harmful to the pages. I only touch that book while wearing gloves." The other man drew his hands away from the book as if he had been burned, and Naruto placed the tray on the table, and relieved it of its burdens. Sasuke, of course, immediately helped himself to half of the eggs, three pieces of bread, and a handful of cheese.

Seating himself, Naruto watched the man from the corner of his eye. It was amusing how he was eating far too fast to actually taste anything. Shaking his head, he poured himself a cup of the tea, then filled his own plate. Sasuke had slowed down his eating, and now looked over at Naruto. "_Ne_, Naruto, do you cook often? This is good." Naruto merely nodded, smiling around the edge of his teacup as he drank. Sasuke wasn't used to complimenting people, he could tell.

"I don't eat _just_ ramen. It just tends to be easier, since it's simple to prepare, and disgustingly cheap and flexible. If you can boil water, you can have ramen." His smile broadened to an absolute grin as he lowered his cup, and it seemed to surprise Sasuke. Surprising him even more, Naruto teased, "Why? Do I need to cook for you, as well as watch your back?" Sasuke's face turned a pale shade of magenta at the suggestion, and he settled his attention back onto his food. Naruto chuckled as he ate his eggs.

He thought he heard a muffled "_Dobe…_" as Sasuke began to drink a glass of orange juice. Naruto smiled again. Maybe working for Sasuke wouldn't be such a bad thing if they could be friendly like this? When they were finished eating, Naruto ran the dishwasher, and then went to look outside.

"Sasuke, there's a weird-looking guy in a Buick sitting out front." He said when he closed the door again. "He's wearing an eye-patch, has really messy gray hair, and looks like he's wearing a tailored circus tent." Sasuke smiled faintly.

"That would be Kakashi-san. Is he awake?"

"_Hai._ And he's reading smut." That made Sasuke laugh. After turning back to Sasuke, whose shoulders shook with silent chuckles, he said, "_Nani_? It _was_ smut. And he was _giggling_."

* * *

"It's time for us to go, then. Collect what you need, Naruto." Sasuke watched as the shorter man ran up the stairs, and moments later came down carrying a hard case that surely held his family swords, and one small duffel bag. When they walked out of the door, Naruto locked it with a spare key he'd found, and pocketed the key. Sasuke would send someone by once a week to take care of Naruto's plants and clean the place. He didn't want the man to think that he didn't care. Sasuke slid into the back seat first again, and Naruto put his duffel into the trunk, then got in after him, holding tightly to the case that contained the three blades. His fingers were on the latch that held the case closed, and Sasuke knew he was anxious. "Have you found anything on who attacked us, Kakashi?" The car started to move, and Sasuke settled against the soft leather of the seat, waiting for Kakashi's answer.

"_Hai, _Sasuke-sama. There is a strong possibility that it's the Akatsuki Federation." A small muscle under Sasuke's eye twitched as he heard the name, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto give a small start. Four years earlier, Sasuke's older brother, and heir to the clan, had murdered both of their parents, and all three of their sisters. The only reason that he had not killed Sasuke was that Kakashi and Ibiki had beaten Itachi back for enough to allow Sakura and Ino to get him out of the house. After this, he joined a group called the Akatsuki Federation, which was attempting to bring all of the _yakuza_ under its authority. It had succeeded on the island of Hokkaido, but as of yet, this was the only place that their influence was as strong as they would like. "Kakashi, what have I told you about mentioning that organization around me?"

The reply was rather bland. "You must realize, Sasuke-sama, that your brother and his cohorts could be behind the attack, and that ignoring it would be foolhardy. If I must repeat, and I know that I must, you told me that I am only to mention Itachi around you if it becomes glaringly necessary." The wiry man turned his head slightly to look back at his employer. "I would say that an assassination attempt is glaringly obvious, wouldn't you?" Sasuke relented, unable to refute Kakashi's logic.

A sudden thought occurred to him. "Give me your phone, Kakashi." The compact cellular phone was thrown into the back seat, and Sasuke caught it, then opened it to the keypad and dialed a number that he had not used in some time. "Ohayo, Hiashi-san. I was wondering if I may speak with Hinata." After a long pause, he heard a soft, feminine voice.

"Ohayo, Sasuke-san. How can I help you?"

He smiled. His second cousin, Hinata, along with her father Hiashi, and their ward, Neji, lived on Hokkaido. He had always liked Hinata. She was quiet, shy, and very kind. "Ohayo, Hinata-chan. I thought I might ask a favor of you."

Her voice became slightly strained. "Ano…What would that be?"

Sasuke hated using her, but he needed information. "Can you tell me if he is on the island, Hinata?" His tone was serious, as it should be. He waited.

Her voice was no more than a whisper as she said, "You know I can't tell you that, Sasuke." There was a note of fear in her voice, and he thought he would have to think of that when he was watching his brother's face twisting in pain.

"I know you're trying to be loyal, Hinata-chan, but he isn't worthy of you. Just say yes or no." There was a faint whining noise coming through the phone now, as if she were trying to decide what to do.

"No." Her reply was less than a whisper, and he was surprised that he heard it at all. She hung up the phone without bothering to bid him farewell. Sasuke didn't blame her. His brother was…persuasive, especially with women. If he found out that Hinata had been put through the kind of punishment he thought she might have, he would find a way for his brother to die more than once. Itachi was no longer his family. He was a ghost that needed exorcising. A ghost that was still trying to rip the remains of his family apart.

"_Arigato_, Hinata-chan," he said quietly as he closed the phone and tossed it back at Kakashi with a light smirk. "Naruto, how are you feeling?"

"Like shit, Sasuke-sama."

Laughing, Sasuke nodded. "Sounds about right. We'll rest for the next few days. Then, we'll need to deal with my brother." A choking noise came from the front seat.

"Sasuke-sama, with all respect, that would mean all-out war with the Akatsuki."

Before Sasuke could speak, Naruto said, "Look, ojisan, this is blood feud. If it starts a war, then we'll just have to finish it." Sasuke stared at the young man sitting next to him. There it was. That completely unpredictable nature. He wondered what it was that made Naruto say such things. Did he feel a compulsion to endanger himself? And Sasuke was sure that he was endangering himself, because Kakashi's good eye was glaring back at him.

"You looking for pain, kid?"

Naruto chuckled. "Not from you, old man. I might hurt you too badly."

Kakashi's usually jovial voice dropped to a low growl. "Name the time and the place, kid, and I'll be there, if only to show you how to respect your betters." Again, Naruto laughed. Sasuke did not understand. Surely Naruto had some idea of how dangerous the man he was taunting was. He wasn't that dense, was he? Was he?

"That's enough, both of you. Kakashi, watch the road. Naruto, shut your mouth." He gave Naruto a meaningful look, telling him to nix his annoying behavior, or he would be in serious trouble. To his surprise, the blonde began to pout. If Sasuke had been in the mood for this sort of thing, he would have found it cute. As he was most definitely _not_ in the mood, he thought it looked childish and annoying. But Naruto's changeable behavior won out once again, as he looked over at Sasuke, and his face split into a brilliant smile. Sasuke nearly shook his head in exasperation. He couldn't tell what Naruto was thinking. Ever. What he could tell was that it would be very difficult to stay angry with him.

* * *

**Japanese terms used:**** Kimono**: a robe-like garment worn in Japan by both men and women  
** Hakama**: pants worn by practitioners of Kendo, or swordplay, in Japan  
** Daijoubu desu ka?**: Are you okay?  
** Daijoubu**: I'm okay.  
** Kabuki-mono**: literally, "the crazy ones." Originally the description for old-time yakuza members. They dressed oddly, spoke in elaborate slang, and wore unusually long swords.  
** Usuratonkachi**: connotation is "bastard of bastards"  
** Hai:** yes  
** Uchiwa**: a fan  
** Dobe**: connotation is usually "moron"  
** Nani?**: What?  
** Yakuza**: the Japanese organized crime syndicate  
** Hokkaido**: Northernmost island of Japan  
** Ojisan**: old man  



	3. Predator

**A/N: **Here's chapter three. Hooray for the tech guys for fixing the upload manager! This is where we see the hints of Yaoi start jumping up and down, waving their arms and yelling, "We're here!" and then turning into blatant, in-your-face Yaoi goodness. Warnings?

FL--Naruto's language...yet again.

Y--Oh, the yaoi's getting thick...

L--Lemon! For the love of Pete?

V--Sparring with real weapons. Sasuke doesn't stand a chance.

C--Japanese terminology used. Definitions at end of chapter

Things to have fun with in this chapter: a devious Naruto, outmatched by a more devious Sasuke, Naruto's sexual identity crisis, and Sasuke having...girl thoughts... O.o Oh, and for those of you who were wondering, the little package that Naruto got on his first meeting with Sasuke was a piece of his father's finger. It's a yakuza thing. Don't ask. Or, if you like, do ask, and I'll explain it later.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

* * *

**Machi Yoko Naruto

* * *

Chapter 3:** Predator 

"Are you sure about this?" Naruto was standing on one end of the dojo, holding his family _wakizashi_. Sasuke stood opposite him, with a _kodaichi_ in one hand and a _kusarigama_ in the other, the chain coiled in his hand. His employer nodded, and he advanced on him. He decided that no matter what, he would not touch him with the blade. Sasuke was, so far as he had seen, the best sparring partner he'd had in some time. Now that he wanted to train with weapons, _shinai_ and other wooden practice pieces would not be sufficient, according to Sasuke. As Naruto brought his _wakizashi_ down in a swift motion, it was caught between the _kodaichi_ and _kusarigama_. They began to twist the short sword in his grip, and he had to back off quickly to keep from being disarmed.

He watched as Sasuke circled back around, looking for an opening. The placid voice of the Uchiha reached his ears only a moment before Sasuke attacked. "Why would I not be? I need to assess your—" Naruto ducked the _kusarigama_, jumped its attached chain, and then blocked the _kodaichi_ in a series of swift and fluid movements. "—full capabilities. Practice weapons never really show that. And frankly, I trust Shikamaru as far as I can throw him." Naruto raised an eyebrow as he watched the chain of the sickle-shaped weapon swinging in a circular fashion. He was waiting for Sasuke to use it, because he was sure that the _kodaichi_ was a diversionary tactic, as it flashed out and made a slash for his head. He was justified in his prediction, because just as he blocked the blade of the _kodaichi_, Sasuke swung the weighted chain at Naruto, trying to trap the arm that held his _wakizashi_.

Pushing Sasuke's _kodaichi_ away with the guard of the _wakizashi_, Naruto used that momentum to turn his body and catch the chain, yanking the other man toward him. Sasuke's eyes widened as he stumbled forward unexpectedly. Soon, the _oyabun_ found that he had been secured with the chain of his own weapon. With a wry smile, he said, "Not bad. But you're going easy on me." Naruto kept the surprise from his face. He knew.

"Sasuke, if I didn't go easy, you would be dead right now. I don't want to kill you." His voice was serious, and seemed to take Sasuke by surprise. Naruto untangled his employer from the chain, and went to the far wall to replace his _wakizashi_. After performing the small ritual of returning the sword to its sheath, he reverently placed it in the rack on the wall, which now held all three of his family swords. Once he bowed to the swords in respect to his family, he turned to face Sasuke again. There was an oppressive silence in the room, but Naruto would not be the first to break it. Sasuke was looking at him with that predatory gaze again, just as he had the week before. And just like the week before, Naruto did not like it.

He walked over to where Sasuke stood, still holding the weapons he'd used. Gathering the chain into a neat coil, he plucked the _kusarigama_ from the other man's hand, and turned to put it away. As soon as he had turned, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Sasuke was coming at him with the _kodaichi_. Naruto released the coil of the chain, and used it to block the weapon, then twisted it around the _kodaichi's_ blade and pulled hard. The blade snapped off five centimeters from the hilt. He saw Sasuke's mouth hang open, and then snap shut with a click of teeth. "Are you finished?" Naruto asked, taking the ruined weapon from Sasuke and then carefully lifting the blade from the floor. "Trying to kill me, Sasuke? I can't protect you if I'm dead."

"But I didn't kill you."

"Of course you didn't. You'd have to try a lot harder than that." Naruto turned from him, and placed the broken blade and its hilt into a box. Why would Sasuke even try to kill him? Over the past week, they had actually become decently close, in spite of the fact that Sasuke was an arrogant bastard. But he had been acting strangely today, and Naruto halfway didn't even want to know what it was about. But, being Naruto, he couldn't help himself. "What's your problem, anyway?" Sasuke did not answer, just like any question that involved his need for Naruto, or his feelings where Naruto was concerned. Was it that he was that indifferent? Was he really the unfeeling, ever-annoyed, self-centered bastard that he seemed to be most of the time?

Every person had different sides to their personality. Naruto had seen a more gentle and caring side to Sasuke, but it took him being wounded to make it come out. His annoyance with Sasuke was growing. Naruto knew that the indifferent mask he kept was not the real Sasuke. What was? The almost sweet side of him that had taken care of him, and had shown such concern for Ibiki? The angry side that caused him to plant Naruto's face firmly into the floor for touching him the wrong way? Or was it that almost frighteningly predatory attitude he had at times when he looked at Naruto? What was that look, anyway?

Naruto huffed softly, and took the _kusarigama_ from Sasuke, coiling the chain and then hanging it with the rest of the weapons on the wall. In his humble opinion, he was working for a very annoying bastard. When he turned around, Sasuke was leaving the room. "_Teme…_" He muttered under his breath, and followed Sasuke, but not before picking up a sheathed _wakizashi_ and pushing it through the sash of his _hakama_. There were servants passing them in the hallway, so he dared not say a word. He had learned his lesson in speaking around the maids, since they giggled at every word he said. What was their problem? Any time he looked at any of them, they giggled uncontrollably, and blushed to their ears before running away. No wonder he didn't like women.

Wait. _Where_ did that thought come from? Of course he liked women. _Of course you do. They're soft and pretty, and fun to play with. It's just their attitude you don't like. Take for instance that blonde that tried to pick up on you last Saturday. She was so…annoying. Just like the rest of them._ If it would be possible to find a woman that didn't _act_ like a woman, it would suit Naruto just fine. Or, rather, finding one that didn't act like some kind of air-head on opium. That would be best.

Finally, they came to a halt at the door to the pool house. Naruto stepped ahead of Sasuke and pulled the door open, giving the room a quick check before allowing him in. The indoor salt-water swimming pool sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight that spilled in through the windows. In the middle of the black tiles lining the pool was a mosaic of the Uchiha family crest. Naruto had to make himself not snort at that. The _yakuza_ families tended to brand their property with their family crests, on every surface available. The Uchiha, it appeared, were no exception. Sasuke went to the first door on the right of the one they had entered by, and opened it. Pulling out a towel, he went to the second door to change. Naruto settled himself down on one of the lounge chairs near the water.

When Sasuke came out of the dressing room, he walked directly over to the high diving platform, wearing snug-fitting black swimming trunks, just like every afternoon when he went swimming. Naruto watched him climb the tall ladder to the very top, bypassing the lower springboards, and standing at the edge of the platform. He turned his back to Naruto, bent his knees, and pushed off, performing a perfect roll in mid air before twisting again and hitting the water perfectly, with a minimal splash. Naruto sighed. The bastard was perfect in everything he did. That kind of perfection is always either there to cover up for something, or is trying to make up for a serious deficiency in an area that most people are fine with. That might apply to Sasuke, he decided, since he seemed to be lacking in the emotional department.

After a long moment, Sasuke came to the surface, pushing his dark hair from his eyes and then swimming over to the edge of the pool, near where Naruto sat. He couldn't say that he liked the way that Sasuke was looking at him. The old hint of amusement was there, which never boded well. His hand started inching toward the _wakizashi_, which sat next to him, but it did no good. Somehow, Sasuke hauled half of his body out of the water and grabbed the front of Naruto's _haori_, yanking him into the water. With an indignant squawk, he flew through the air, over Sasuke's head, and landed on his back, the familiar 'belly-buster' sting covering the whole of his back, and making the fresh scar there twinge painfully.

When he resurfaced, he glared at Sasuke, whose smile was as close to a grin as Naruto had seen. "Was that really necessary?" He asked, trying to tread water in _hakama_, which was not working out very well. "Now I'm all wet."

"Then take that stuff off." The amusement in Sasuke's voice, coupled with that predatory gaze unsettled him, and Naruto groped his way further along the wall to back away from him. "Where are you going?"

"Away from you. I don't like the look you're giving me." He answered honestly, and Sasuke cocked his head to one side.

"What look?" He asked innocently, and blinked, as if to feign confusion. Sasuke should learn to act better.

"You're looking at me like I'm a piece of steak. What the fuck?" He levered himself up out of the pool, and looked for all the world like he was a drowned orphan. In spite of his irritation, he realized the fact that he did need to get out of his clothes and into something dry. He rolled his eyes. On his way to the dressing room, he started untying the sash of his _hakama_, and dropping bits of clothing along the way. He grumbled to himself about Sasuke's strange behavior, and looked through the swimsuits provided for something suitable. He really wished that Sasuke would have something that wasn't black. After stripping off his underwear, he pulled on a pair of loose trunks (in black, of course) and yanked the door open.

He stalked over to where the _wakizashi_ still sat, and pulled the lounge chair further away from the water. Naruto guessed that he really should have known better than to trust Sasuke. He was like…what the hell was he like? Naruto simply stopped thinking, and watched the object of his irritation swim laps with perfectly measured strokes. At the moment, he really wished that he didn't have to be around the man constantly. A little space, and time away from him would work wonders right about now. The dark spot in the water that was Sasuke's back glided along, aided by the strokes of pale arms and legs. With each stroke, Sasuke's face lifted from the water, and he took a large breath.

Sasuke was always so _perfect_. Everything about him was perfect. From the way his hair was just disheveled enough to how his clothes fit him just right, and the way he walked, the way he spoke, everything. It was _perfectly annoying_, as far as Naruto was concerned. He could do with seeing Uchiha Sasuke in a moment when he was _not_ perfect. It might remind him that the bastard was human. Then he thought again of the look Sasuke had before Naruto had hauled himself from the water. It felt like he was being weighed and measured, and also like the one doing the measuring had different standards in mind than most people.

Pursing his lips for a moment, a thought of such a devious nature surfaced in his mind that he had to just…grin. There was only one door into the room, and Naruto stood and locked it. He picked up the _wakizashi_, and stowed it in the towel closet, because out of sight was truly out of mind. Then he watched Sasuke swim for a few more moments before he made his way over to the diving platform. Once at the top, he watched the Uchiha's perfect swimming strokes, timing them to the second with the use of his own more than steady heartbeat. His grin never faltered as he watched Sasuke. Twenty strokes from one end of the pool to the other when he would turn in the water and swim back the way he had come. This took a total of twenty-four seconds.

His face began to hurt and he made himself stop smiling. The platform was positioned at the halfway point between the two ends of the pool on the long side. If he waited until Sasuke's…seventh stroke to jump, he would be able to perform his little plan. He waited until he crossed two more times before he readied himself, just to check that he was going at a fairly constant speed. Then, he turned and started back. One…two…Naruto stood at the edge of the platform. Three…four…five…he entered a crouched diver's stance. Six…seven…Naruto jumped, performed a passable jackknife, and entered the water with a surprisingly small splash for his lack of training, immediately curving his body upward to make his way over to the other side of the pool to intercept Sasuke.

The water stung his eyes, but he could care less. He was going to get his own back from that cocky, forever-perfect little bastard, and a little salt water in the eyes wasn't going to slow him down. He spotted Sasuke, a little further ahead in his strokes than anticipated, but that was all right. Naruto swam like a fish, although in a rather unorthodox manner, under the water to where Sasuke was, and got under him, then reached up and took hold of the man with his arms while entangling his legs with Sasuke's, effectively immobilizing him. The water was shallow here, so Naruto simply kept the man from struggling too much by using his rather extraordinary strength, and allowed his feet to sink until he stood up in water that reached his chest.

As he blinked water out of his eyes, he saw Sasuke's face. There was shock there, yes, but not the amount that Naruto was hoping for. The alien expression quickly faded from the Uchiha's face, only to be replaced by that predatory look. He quickly let go of Sasuke when he realized that his trick had backfired on him, and tried to back away. This, however did not work, since Sasuke's arms and legs mimicked his own hold, and then Naruto found himself rather thoroughly trapped. Damn. His thoughts: _Meat. I feel like a piece of meat._ And it was pretty accurate for him to feel that way, actually. Sasuke looked at him the way a man who hadn't eaten for a week looks at a juicy, perfectly cooked, medium rare steak with mashed potatoes and gravy on the side. So, yeah, he felt like meat.

"Ano…" Naruto began to say, but then he felt that they were moving to the edge of the pool somehow. If he were to look, he would have seen that Sasuke was walking on the very tips of his big toes only, because those were the only parts of his feet that weren't involved in keeping Naruto's legs where they were.

"Think you're pretty smart, don't you, _dobe_?" Sasuke seemed only to be saying this to kill time. In this type of situation, he was far too panicked to take offense at the insult thrown his way. No. It was not thrown. It was used to caress his skin the way silk does. As Naruto felt his back press against the cold tiles of the pool, he swallowed audibly. He now saw the predatory gaze that he'd gotten from the very first time he'd met this man for exactly what it was. Sasuke was trying to seduce him. _Oh…hell. Damn it. Fuck. Shit. Double-damn._ Oh, now how did he deal with this?

"I don't know. I thought it was pretty well planned out." Man, did that sound weak. It was true, at least, but it was very weak. Sasuke started to lean toward him, and Naruto's eyes widened almost comically. He leaned back as far as the concrete and tile behind him would allow him to, but it still wasn't enough. "Sasuke, I don't think that's a good idea," he said when the other man was only centimeters from his face.

In a low, smooth voice that sent a shiver up his spine, Sasuke said, "Why?" Had _anyone_, in all his life, ever spoken to him that way? He could feel short nails digging into the flesh of his biceps, and the hands those nails belonged to making it so that every bit of Sasuke was pressed against him. There was one particular bit that was pressing quite obviously against his leg, and Naruto had to stifle a kind of sound that was something between a surprised squeak and a whimper from the feeling it gave him. "Why is it a bad idea, Naruto?" God, Sasuke's voice was practically purring at him…

"Be-because…Because I don't like men."

At that statement, Sasuke backed his face away from Naruto's for just a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?" Naruto was painfully aware of his position, Sasuke's proximity, and the bulge pressed against his right thigh. That bulge moved as Sasuke shifted his legs, and his breathing stopped for an instant when he realized (to his abject horror) that a similar bulge was forming in his own swimming trunks. "I don't know, Naruto. Your face is telling me that you do. Hn. And so is the rest of you." Just what the hell did his face look like? Sasuke had to be projecting his own feelings into this. Naruto did not like men. He liked women. He liked their musical voices, their soft skin, and their beauty.

Again, to his dismay, he had the realization that he had just described the man whose body was pressed against his own. Rationalizing things didn't seem to be helping anything. In desperation, he began to struggle against Sasuke's grip, but before he had squirmed very much at all, he was surprised by something warm and soft brushing gently, slowly, teasingly against his lips. Sasuke's mouth hovered over his, lips slightly parted, skin barely touching his at random intervals. This simple contact set his breathing to becoming more and more erratic every second that it continued. His heartbeat picked up speed, right along with his breathing. Doing a quick self-assessment, Naruto asked himself a few questions.

One: how much do you really like women?

Two: (and this one is much more important than the first) when was the last time you had sex?

Three: do you really want to stop him?

In order of appearance, the answers to Naruto's questions were as follows: (one) not that much, (two) more than a year, and (three) _hell no_! He just didn't care that it happened to be a man that made him feel this way, because, simply put, he had never felt like this. It felt so good that he did not care one bit if it was a man, woman or an alien from another galaxy pressed against him, moving against him…His eyes slid shut, and he said, "I could be wrong…" just before he forcefully claimed Sasuke's mouth with his, and finally found the strength to overpower the Uchiha. Naruto broke Sasuke's grip on all of his limbs, and reversed their positions, pressing the pale man against the tile of the pool, and sucking briefly at his lower lip, then setting to work invading Sasuke's mouth with his tongue. He rocked his hips against Sasuke's, and received a double reward: a beautiful moan from the dark-haired man, and a jolt of pure ecstasy spreading through his body like a heat wave in the middle of winter.

Slender fingers reached up and twined themselves in his hair, and others traced nonsensical patterns over the muscles of his back. The hand now knotted in Naruto's hair pulled, increasing the intensity of the kiss, which Naruto had to admit was been pretty mind-blowing to begin with. But now…more than twelve months of repressed sexual frustration and utter loneliness made their appearance, and he broke away from Sasuke's kiss, trailing his lips down to his neck, then began to trace the more prominent muscles with his tongue, producing a shiver in the Uchiha.

"Hn. Naruto…"

Looking up from his work, but pressing himself tighter against Sasuke, he said, "Yes?"

"Ah…" As Sasuke tried to collect his thoughts and organize them into word format, Naruto was ghosting light touches over every bit of his body that he could reach. Finally, when he turned Sasuke around so that the Uchiha's chest was pressed against the cold tiles, he reached his hands around Sasuke's front, and settled one of them between the tiles and the skin of the man's chest, and the other between his legs, where he did two things. The first of these things was that he rubbed gently at the ever-hardening erection trapped in those tight black swimming shorts, and the second was that he used this grip to press himself against the man's backside. Stuttering moans and whimpers echoed off of the glass walls, the mere sound of which nearly caused Naruto to lose his mind.

He pulled away from Sasuke for a moment, and ceased all physical contact. For a few seconds, he simply looked at him. Clutching at the edge of the concrete, Sasuke was trembling. The small movements sent ripples over the tattoo on his back, and Naruto leaned down to it, touching the dragon with his lips, licking at its scales, and then concentrating on the area where the fan was tattooed, which was directly over his spine.

* * *

The tremors were getting worse, and it was all he could do to hold onto the small concrete ledge and not turn around to forcefully take Naruto right then and there. The only part of Naruto that was touching him was his tongue, but that was doing quite a job on its own. As he began to whimper and moan at the teasing of Naruto's tongue on his skin, Sasuke felt Naruto's hands on him again. This time, they slid over the skin of his back, over his hips, and thumbs hooked into the waistband of his shorts, playfully stroking the skin there. Fingers soon followed, and he felt his one article of clothing being removed. 

He could feel the heat of Nartuo pressed against his back, and one of his hands dragged nails teasingly close to Sasuke's now painful erection. He knew that he would not be able to take much more of this. Pushing himself off of the wall, he grabbed Naruto's wrist and yanked him toward the edge of the pool closest to the dressing room.

"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice asked behind him, "Where are we going?"

"The dressing room." Sasuke said, raw determination and lust lacing his words.

"Why?"

Sasuke stopped for just a moment. He turned back to look at Naruto, and then pressed himself against the blonde. Rocking his hips hard against him, he could hear and _feel_ the man moan. "Like that, do you?" Naruto nodded dumbly. "It gets better, but some of the things I want to do to you can't be done in a swimming pool." Lifting a leg, he wrapped it around Naruto's hips and thrust against him sharply, and both of them hissed at the sudden shock of pleasure. "Any objections?"

Naruto's breathing became ragged suddenly, and he clutched at Sasuke's back and pulled him close. "No. No objections. Just don't do that again on the way, or I'll be forced to take you before we get there." Sasuke blinked. These words were said in his ear, and his eyes closed at the growling tone that they were uttered in. He had to admit to himself that this suggestion did not bother him in the least. He uncurled himself from around Naruto and moved to the edge of the pool, then hauled himself out of it and helped Naruto out, as well. Shoving the blonde ahead of him, he got them to the dressing room, and slammed the door behind them.

After finding the light switch, Sasuke pressed Naruto against the door of the room, his wet skin sliding over Naruto's in a way that made his breathing quicken. The salty taste of the water filled his mouth as he trailed kisses down his neck to his chest, and nipped at sensitive skin just below the collarbone, then moved lower. The sounds he heard as he playfully grazed his teeth over Naruto's skin were amazing, and he wanted to hear more. Reaching to the sodden and dripping swimming trunks the blonde wore, he slipped his hands inside, and lowered them to the floor, kneeling in the process.

At the sight of the vision of perfection that stood pressed against the door, waiting for something, anything, waiting for _him_, Sasuke lost himself completely. It suddenly did not matter that he might sully Naruto by being with him. Before he could even touch Naruto again, he found himself pressed against the floor, with the blonde on top of him, moving against him teasingly. He could feel the burning heat building quickly inside himself, and he realized that it would not be long before he came apart at the seams. "God, Naruto, stop, please."

"Why?" Naruto's voice was incredulous.

"Because. I won't last much longer if you keep this up. I don't want anything else right now. Just you." Naruto stared down at him, an odd emotion behind the desire in his eyes. Sasuke hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Please…" His voice had taken on a tone that pleaded and moaned and begged all at once. He knew he didn't sound like himself, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. He wanted and needed this more than he needed air to breathe. Just once, he could afford to sound desperate. If it meant sharing these exquisite sensations with Naruto, then he could say whatever he had to. Sasuke would do whatever he had to.

"Sasuke, I've never—"

"I trust you, Naruto."

* * *

_I trust you, Naruto._ Those words echoed in his mind as he looked down at Sasuke. He wasn't sure how exactly to go about this sort of thing. "What do I…how?" He bit his lip. He could feel the waves of utter need washing over him from the other man, and they were eroding his self-control, bit by bit, but he still did not want to hurt him. Taking his hand, Sasuke began to kiss his fingers, then to lick them, and to suck them and, for the love of all that is holy in this world, it felt amazing. 

Understanding came over him, and he pulled his fingers reluctantly from Sasuke's mouth, and then gently pushed his index finger into Sasuke's body. As he moved his finger further in, he curled it and uncurled it several times, finding a spot that drew unbelievable sounds from the man beneath him. Sasuke writhed, begged, and pleaded with him to continue, saying that he should not stop, don't ever stop. After a long moment of watching Sasuke's reactions, he added another digit, and if possible, the man moaned louder, clutching at his shoulders, and trying to move against Naruto's hand to feel more.

Even in this state, Sasuke was still perfect. The way he sounded, looked, tasted, smelled…everything about him was perfect. As Naruto moved against him, Sasuke's eyes were closed. No. He wanted them open. "Look at me," he breathed, barely able to contain his own desire from the way Sasuke was arching into his touches, and making the most delicious sounds. Eyes the color of charcoal cracked open, lids heavy with unreleased desire. "I want you to see me, Sasuke. Don't look away, and don't close your eyes." Sasuke looked up at him in a strange way. It looked as if he were going to cry. As he released his fingers from him, Sasuke gave a small cry of protest.

Bending down, he kissed lips that were soft and warm, inviting and even addictive. Arms encircled his neck, pulling him closer, as his hands wandered to varying destinations over skin finer than porcelain, and softer than any silk. So lost in all of this that he forgot about anything else, he was stunned when he felt Sasuke's hand close on his straining erection, and was more surprised as he was positioned in exactly the right place to take him. He pulled his face away from Sasuke's, and settled the weight of his body slowly, gently sliding into him, watching the beautiful way that he tensed, then relaxed, the way his back arched, like a cat stretching in the sun. Heat. It was hot, and very, very tight, and the feeling only intensified as he sank deeper into him, low moans rolling from his throat, the evidence of a desire that threatened to burn him alive.

* * *

Sasuke fought to keep his eyes open. When something felt good, they had a habit of sliding closed, as if not watching what was happening to him would make it seem like a dream, so that when it ended, and he was alone again, he would not be disappointed. But he _wanted_ to see Naruto, to watch his face. There was a strangely serene expression there now, and he did not understand why, but it made him want to cry. That expression, as they moved together, was what made him keep his eyes open, making him not want to forget that he was doing something that felt too good to ever possibly last. It made him forget the doubts he had. Made him forget that by being here with Naruto, he was somehow making him less pure. 

In a way, he felt that being with someone so untainted by life allowed him to wash away some of his own guilt and give him some peace. He could feel every bit of himself crying out never to let go of this, never, never, never. If he had anything to say about it, he wouldn't. Now that he had made up his mind about that, there was nothing in the world other than he and the perfectly beautiful man he was with. Coherent thought disappeared, and he could only feel. Though he kept his eyes open, he reached up to Naruto's face, tracing the plane of his nose, his forehead, lips, and the scars on his cheeks.

One of Naruto's hands touched his chest, tracing a slow pattern there, and then moving slowly down to stroke fingers gently over the hard flesh of his erection, causing him to breathe in sharply. That calm expression on the other's face was still there, a small smile forming as he looked down on him, moving so slowly inside him that Sasuke thought he was would to go insane if Naruto did not pick up the pace.

Just as he thought this, he was scooped up from the floor, and slammed against the wall, his breath leaving him from the way Naruto now invaded his senses. Sasuke could hear him groaning, as if he were holding himself back. He could see the way that the serenity in Naruto's face was quickly melting away to show the raw desire that lay beneath. He could smell Naruto's scent all around him, flowing into him, pressing in on him. Sasuke allowed himself a small moment away from the view of Naruto's face, in order to taste his skin, now even saltier with the sweat that covered his body with a light sheen. Above all else, he could feel him as he wrapped his legs around the other man's body, and took him into himself. It was as if with every movement, every quickening thrust, they became part of each other.

"Hn…Naruto…" He began to moan loudly as he balanced on the brink of the oblivion that awaited him past his orgasm. The blonde man slowed his pace, and Sasuke blinked as he stopped moving altogether. What in the world was he doing? Suddenly, almost violently, Naruto began to thrust again, pounding himself into Sasuke as deeply and as quickly as he could. "N-naruto…oh, God…don't stop, please!" Naruto did not stop. The hard, fast movements that were bringing him closer to the brink of madness than anything in his life continued, and he could barely breathe. That delicate balance he had maintained was quickly tipped, and Sasuke screamed, clinging tightly to Naruto's neck, feeling Naruto's release in the same instant. Sasuke clung to the trembling man, even as they sank to the floor. He rested his face in the crook of Naruto's neck, and closed his eyes.

The breaths that the other man took were shaky, and Sasuke wondered if he was really all right with what they had done. He lifted his head and looked into Naruto's face, anxiously, though his own face showed none of that. Naruto's eyes were unfocused. "Naruto?" He asked, trying to bring him back to reality. His eyes seemed to clear up, and he looked at Sasuke, then bit his lip and looked away. Sasuke's heart sank. Did he regret? He really felt like he wanted to cry, now. The only hint of that feeling that showed on his face was the miniscule trembling of his lips. "Naruto, look at me."

Troubled blue eyes looked into his, and Sasuke said, "Do you regret what we did?"

Those eyes widened in horror. "No! No, I don't! It isn't that. I just…it scares me."

Sasuke could not keep the confusion from his face. "What?"

Naruto gestured to the space between them. "This, Sasuke. Us. It scares me. I've never felt like this. Never. That wasn't just sex, Sasuke." His fears that he may have defiled Naruto in some way were instantly put to rest. He was still the perfect, beautiful, and strangely innocent creature that he had been half an hour ago.

"Then," Sasuke said, leaning closer to Naruto so that their lips almost met, "I guess I'll have to help you face your fears." He placed a soft, gentle kiss on Naruto's lips, and pulled away with a smile. Naruto had an utterly goofy grin on his face, and Sasuke had to keep himself from laughing.

* * *

Japanese terms used: 

** Wakizashi**: a short sword, often paired with a katana as a spare  
** Kasurigama**: a sickle-like weapon on a chain  
** Shinai**: a wooden practice weapon used in Kendo. Consists of bamboo lathes bound together, with a leather-wrapped hilt.  
** Kodaichi**: a sword slightly shorter than the katana, with a longer hilt.  
** Oyabun**: boss. Here, a crime boss  
** Haori**: a kind of short kimono or jacket, worn by both men and women in Japan.  
** Dobe**: connotation is usually "idiot" or "moron".

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, now here we go. Things have REALLY gotten going, haven't they? Next chapter will involve more characters, I promise. 


	4. Foothold

**A/N:** Here's chapter 4. I have to say I'm a little disappointed with this chapter, but I had to introduce new characters to keep the thing going, and there's more than a few. So, here we meet Iruka, Hinata, Itachi, Kurenai, and Neji, and we get to see more of Kakashi, Ino, and Sakura. Note: I have placed a character of my own invention into the slot of clan head for the Haruno clan. He is not canon Naruto. So, there you have it. Warnings?

**Y**--More yaoi goodness with our buddies Sasuke and Naruto...

**P/O**--There's a little bit of psychological stuff in this chapter, with obsession sprinkled in. I wonder, can you guess who would be obssessed? (cough-Neji-cough) Hm. Must be dusty in here.

**L**--This time, I believe we have a problem with Hinata's language.

**C--**Japanese terms used. Definitions at the end of the chapter.

**Legal Stuffiness: ** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

* * *

**Machi Yoko Naruto

* * *

Chapter 4:** Foothold

* * *

"What did you tell him, Hinata?" the dark-haired man's voice asked, very close to her ear as he stood behind her. His breath tickled the small hairs on her neck. She trembled, wishing she could cry for help. Her father was in the next room, playing _shogi_ with her cousin, Neji. Surely, if she screamed, they would come to her aid? Hinata's tone of voice usually never reached anything above a loud whisper, let alone a scream, but she thought that if it came to it, if she needed to get away from this man badly enough, she could scream. She wished that she could scream. For the moment, she simply answered him. 

"I…I told him that you weren't here." She said this hesitantly, and with difficulty. For someone trying not to shake, it actually came out much more steady than she thought it would. A hand clamped down on her arm, and she was shoved against the wall, the side of her face pressed against the searing cedar planking. The sauna was hot as five different kinds of hell, and it became more so the moment she saw him walk in. Her eyes widened, blue so light that they could be mistaken for being white, as she felt his other hand slide down her back and then snake around her waist. He spoke in dangerous tones.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Hinata-chan. Did I or did I not tell you that you are not to give my brother _any_ information concerning my activities?" She could feel his lips next to her ear, almost touching her skin, and it made her shiver involuntarily in spite of the heat. Her voice stuck in her throat, and she could not say a word. His arm tightened around her waist. "Answer me, woman." The warning bells in her head went off for what had to be the fifth time since he arrived. He was angry. When Uchiha Itachi was angry, he…did things…

"_Hai._ I am not to tell him."

Itachi's hand gripped the cloth of the towel she wore. "Then _why_ did you tell him?" His words were hissed out and then his face was pressed against her neck, lips and tongue tracing a path down to her collarbone. Her breathing quickened against her will. She hated him. She hated what he did to her, and how he made her feel as he touched her. "Why, Hinata?" Her trembling increased at the sound of his voice, but she did manage to answer him.

"I don't know why." At this, she was spun around, and Itachi's strangely reddish eyes looked down into hers as he pressed her against the wall.

"You will not speak to him again. You are mine, and you will do as I tell you. Do you understand?" His voice was a low growl now, which never did bode well. Hinata nodded once, and his anger seemed to melt away. His mood changed so quickly, that Hinata at first did not notice the way he pressed himself against her. When she did, her mouth set in a hard line, and she gathered every ounce of her strength to push him away.

"Stop it."

"Excuse me?" He asked dangerously, his eyes burning into hers in a way that said he would not be refused.

"Stop." Her voice was less than steady, and she looked fearfully up at him, not realizing that she was covering her abdomen protectively.

Itachi's face softened, looking at her with an expression she did not see very often: tenderness. "I won't hurt you, Hinata. I have _never _hurt you. Why would I hurt my beautiful, perfect, angel?" Physically, there was no argument with his words. He had never physically hurt her. All of the scars he had given her were on the inside. Hinata's mind rebelled against her body, which had long since given in to him. "Why would I hurt my wife, and our child?" His hand touched her face almost lovingly, eyes the color of fast-drying blood staring down into hers, and said, "Why would I hurt what I love?"

Love? Somehow, Hinata highly doubted that he loved her. She was not given to believing that he could bring himself to love anything other than power. Her mind shut down after a moment, allowing her some kind of peace as he touched her, for she could not really feel it. His hands moved, brushing over exposed skin, and making small, teasing tugs at her towel. She did not answer him. It was almost certainly a rhetorical question. Though this time, her lack of answer did not bother him. He bent to kiss her, his lips attacking hers in a nearly violent and utterly possessive way that left her panting for breath, and whimpering, her eyes unfocused. And then he was gone. She clutched the towel around herself, and slid down the wall to tremble on the floor.

Closing her eyes, Hinata let out a silent scream. _Damn him._ Damn him for what he did to her. _Damn everyone._ Her father, for making her marry this man, and Neji for not protesting. He was her protector. Neji had always been there for her. But he could not be there for her now. He was not allowed. Only Itachi. _Damn him_, Hinata thought again, and she wept bitterly in the heat of the room, wishing that her fate were different.

* * *

"Why have we still not moved on the Akatsuki?" Sasuke asked calmly as he sat at the end of the long conference table. He looked around, the other clan heads not meeting his eyes. Naruto stood behind him and to his left, while Kakashi stood to the right. Sakura sat in one corner in a formal pink kimono, waiting to be called, while Ino wore a slinky sky blue strapless dress, a pair of knee high black combat boots, and long leather opera gloves. She stood, smirking, and leaning on Kakashi, who was trying without success to ignore her presence. 

The heads of the Akimichi, Nara, Inuzuka, Aburame, as well as others of less note simply refused to meet his gaze. Then, the newest member of the council, the freshly appointed fourth cousin of his own Sakura, Haruno Ishida, stood. "Your pardon, _oyabun_, but I am concerned as to our motives. Is this really for the good of us all, or is it simply your vendetta?" Sasuke's eyes snapped to this young man, who was only eighteen. Had it not been for the dire need for leadership in the Haruno clan, he would not have allowed someone younger than himself into the role of clan head. He knew how hard it was to take on such authority at a young age. Just as he was going to deliver a biting retort, he felt a hand on his left shoulder.

He glanced up and back, then saw Naruto. He was smiling softly, but the look in his eyes was telling him to take a deep breath and think before he said something that would be regretted later. Relaxing visibly, he turned back to the young man who had just seated himself. Staring hard at the boy across the glass table top, he said, "Haruno-san, please, understand. Yes, I want to rid the world of that foul excuse for a human being, but I also recognize the threat that the entire Akatsuki Federation poses. Do we want to end up like the council on Hokkaido?" It was a matter of public fact that every member of the _yakuza_ council on the island of Hokkaido was made to commit _seppuku_ before the eyes of their gathered families. It was a symbol of the control that the Akatsuki had over their domain.

The members of the council seemed unnerved by the very mention of the Hokkaido council's fate. "Now, I would like it if we could begin to gather our resources. Next time we meet, we will discuss the best plan of action." With that, the meeting was adjourned, and the men and women filed out of the conference room. When the door shut behind the last of the departing guests, Kakashi shoved Ino off of him.

"Baka. Keep off of me." He shook himself, and rubbed at the spot on his arm that she had been leaning on for an hour. The look on the man's face was one of utter distaste. It was amusing, actually.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Come on, 'Kashi. You know you like it."

"I most certainly do _not_." Sasuke rolled his eyes at this display. His irritation with Ino began to rise, as did Kakashi's, though he thought that there was less truth to the silver-haired man's claims than he let on. Small indicators let Sasuke know that his spy handler enjoyed her attention. The tilt of his head, the way Kakashi's eye flicked this way and that, and the set of his mouth. These little things would not have gone unnoticed by Ino, who was trained to recognize even the slightest change in a person's mood.

"Sakura, Ino, you are dismissed." Sasuke nodded to them as they bowed, and on her way out, Ino delivered a full handed slap to Kakashi's backside, causing the man's one good eye to widen, and once the door closed behind her, he growled curses. As amusing as it was to see the man flustered, Sasuke brought the conversation back to the task at hand. "So, what is the report?"

Kakashi pulled a small notebook from a pocket in the sleeve of his kimono. Rather subdued for Kakashi's taste, the right side of it was red, while the other was blue. If he were searched, though, it would take about ten minutes to completely disarm him, so Sasuke wasn't going to complain. The man was useful, and he was trustworthy. Kakashi cleared his throat. "The spies within your cousin's house have told us that Itachi has now forbidden her to speak with you, and they also say that she is with child." Sasuke closed his eyes. He had been afraid of something like this.

From the moment he had learned of Itachi marrying Hinata, he was sure that there was some ulterior motive for it. Now, he was starting to see glimpses of his plan. Itachi would have a child, an heir. That was something that Sasuke could not boast of. And if things kept on the way they were, he would never have one. If it were Itachi's plan to worm his way into the position Sasuke was now in, so that the Federation could take over Honshu the way they did Hokkaido, then he would just have to kill him faster. Muttering curses under his breath, he looked over at Naruto, who simply smiled a little. He was not sure of what to make of things, either. Now three months since he had employed the man, and only a little less than that since they had become lovers, Naruto was already keenly attuned to his moods, and almost seemed to be able to read his mind.

"They have no reports as to his plans." Kakashi snapped the notebook shut, then eyed him for a moment. "What are you thinking, Sasuke-sama?"

"I think he's using her. She's his ticket back into power within the clan, and a foothold for Akatsuki on Honshu." Closing his eyes for a moment to keep his anger under control, he clenched his fists. "How entrenched are they?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, trying to think. "Well, it has only been eight months. I would say that if we kill the ring leaders, the clans would join together on their own and kick the rest of them out." That was exactly what Sasuke had been hoping for. He smiled wickedly, and Kakashi's good eye widened. "What is your recommendation?"

"What do you think it is, you moron? Call Iruka, and tell him to get us the necessities. Then, you can talk to Asuma to grease the wheels with the authorities on Hokkaido." Kakashi pursed his lips. Apparently, he had not thought that Sasuke was ready for this, or perhaps that he hadn't been serious. Well, he was going to just have to get over it, as far as Sasuke was concerned. They had a job to do, and they would, in fact, kill every last one of the ringleaders, Itachi included. "And another thing. Find Anko. I need to speak with her." Sasuke kept a straight face, but just barely, when Kakashi winced at the mention of his ex-wife.

Sasuke's smile almost got through. He knew it was torture to make him talk to Anko. And that wince of irritation? Fake. Completely fake. The torture wasn't that he hated her. It was precisely the opposite.

"Why her?"

"Because I need someone no one will suspect, and she's damned good at getting information." With a bare hint of the smile that had been trying to form on his face, he added, "You can take Ino with you, if you like." He had not thought it possible, but the man actually _blushed._ It was slight, and was gone as quickly as it had come, but it was there.

"_Hai,_ Sasuke-sama." He bowed politely, and excused himself, leaving the room to perform the tasks he was given.

Sasuke flopped down on his chair, and looked around the now empty table, then at Naruto. He still had him wearing traditional clothing, because he simply looked wonderful in it. Naruto had convinced him to allow for some color in his wardrobe, though. He could never really refuse anything the man asked of him. Today, he wore blue.

His _hakama_ were a very dark blue, almost black, and his _haori_ was the same shade as his eyes. The cloth draped and clung in exactly the right places, and he had to look away from him to keep from becoming aroused. He carried one of the katana that Sasuke had given him, saying that the one his father had left him was for killing only one man. He had never elaborated on this statement, but Sasuke assumed that he was referring to his blood feud with the Nara heir.

"_Ne_, Sasuke?"

"What?" Sasuke said, rubbing his temples as a headache started to gather its strength. He heard footsteps, and then a metallic sound as Naruto's weapon was placed on the table. With a rustle of cloth, and a grunt from Sasuke, Naruto plopped down into his lap, straddling his hips and grinning like an idiot. He leaned over and gave Sasuke a kiss on the cheek, warm lips on cool skin.

"You need to relax." The tone of his voice was low, almost a purr. "These headaches are from stress. Close your eyes." Sasuke did, and the next thing he knew, Naruto was performing a ludicrously wonderful massage on his temples, then his scalp, his fingers moving in slow, tight circles somehow drawing all of the tension from Sasuke's body. At the end of this treatment, he was sure he must be drooling. Opening his eyes, he saw that grin still plastered over Naruto's face, though now it had a hint of a smirk to it, as well. "See? All better, _ne_?" To his surprise, he found that Naruto really had gotten rid of his headache.

"_Arigato_, Naruto."

Naruto made a dismissive gesture with one hand. "Feh. You can thank me later," the blonde smiled suggestively. Sasuke almost sighed, but thought better of it. As reluctant as he had been in the beginning, things were completely different now. It was difficult to keep Naruto off of him when no one else was in the room, and sometimes, when there _were_ other people in the present, simply a look from Naruto gave him a shiver. He allowed his hands to rest on Naruto's hips, pleasant thoughts entering his mind and even more pleasant sensations trickled through his body, at the feeling of Naruto sitting so very close. As if sensing his thoughts, the man in his lap shifted slightly and said, "Hm. Or you could thank me now, if you like."

In a very firm tone, Sasuke said, "No, Naruto. It's time for lunch." At the mention of food, the blonde's stomach made a loud growl of agreement, and Sasuke smirked. "Later, though, I have no objections to." He kissed Naruto lightly, and ran fingers down his back, causing him to shiver.

Pouting, Naruto stood and collected his weapon. "All-right, but after lunch…"

"After lunch, I have a meeting, Naruto."

"And after that?" The blonde's voice took on a dangerous tone that, oddly enough, had a hint of a whine to it.

"Nothing. After my meeting at three o'clock, I'm all yours." His voice had taken on a rather sarcastic tone, and Naruto raised an eyebrow. That meant trouble. He hated it when he did that. There was never really any telling what that gesture meant. It could be done out of anger, or it could be simply that he was going to rip Sasuke's clothes off and take him on the spot. One never really can tell with Uzumaki Naruto. He's just too unpredictable.

"You're damned right you are." Suddenly, Naruto was pressed tightly against him, silk rasping against virgin wool, his hands roaming over the cloth of Sasuke's suit, ever downward, until one came to rest between Sasuke's legs. He gave a small moan at the contact, and Nartuo smiled against his neck, nipping at the flesh there, then licking it. A louder moan was produced from this treatment, and Naruto's mouth moved to his ear, licking and sucking at his earlobe. Finally releasing his ear, Naruto whispered, "And don't you forget it." Sasuke blinked at the possessive tone in Naruto's voice, then nearly growled under his breath at the man when he glanced down. Trying to calm himself, he pushed the blonde a way. He saw an amused smile on his face, and rolled his eyes.

"You did that on purpose, _dobe_." Naruto's face changed after a moment to an expression of pure (and not to mention completely _fake_) innocence. If possible, it only made him more aroused. What the hell was _wrong_ with him? Yes, he was twenty years old, and his hormones were obviously still a little unstable, but this was ridiculous. There was no way that he was leaving the room with an erection. Not one that Naruto had given him intentionally. He grabbed the front of Naruto's _haori_, and yanked him over to the table, laying him down on top of it. "Why do you always do that? You know I have things to do. How am I suppose to do _anything_ if all I can think about is you?" That made the blonde smile happily, but he was not finished. "Now, this is the last time we do this. You're going to have to learn to control yourself. My schedule is suffering."

Smirking up at him, Naruto said, "My libido does not keep time with your schedule, Sasuke."

"You can say that again." Sasuke smirked down at Naruto evilly, and bent low, using his teeth to remove the sash of Naruto's _hakama_. He wanted thanking? Sasuke could deal with that. For the next twenty minutes (a true quickie for the two of them), servants shied away from the conference room, since Naruto was moaning loudly, and at times screaming.

* * *

Ino shook her head. "Why do I need to go with you?" She looked at Kakashi, who was wearing the most ridiculous outfit she'd seen on him yet. His black jeans were tucked into knee high black leather boots that buckled up, and had thick soles. The tight black shirt he wore had the collar ripped off, and it was slit open to reveal a decent amount of skin on his chest. While these things could be found at any Goth party, Ino had to stare at his coat. It was long, red, and made completely of leather. It made Ino think of a television show she had seen a long time ago, but she couldn't think of the name…oh, well. 

"Because. I don't want her getting…_touchy_. I thought if I had a girl with m—"

"Oh, hell no. You're not using me as a decoy, you bastard. Either you go alone, or you really ask me out. None of this in-between bullshit." She watched his face turn a slightly pink color, but he finally just shrugged and grabbed her arm, hauling her out of the door. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Taking you on a date, damn it."

* * *

Umino Iruka hung up his telephone. He had just finished talking to his former partner, Hatake Kakashi. They had gone to the Police Academy together, and were partners for about four years, but after Kakashi's accident, he was forced to leave the department, and soon joined the Uchiha clan of the Honshu _yakuza_. He looked around his office. Not long after Kakashi left, he had followed. It just wasn't the same without the pervert around. Of course, things were different now. Iruka ran guns for the Uchiha clan, and several others, and his wife, Kurenai, was an occasional assassin, but mostly a spy. They lived well, and spent most of their time together, which was a plus. 

What he was not happy with at the moment was that Kurenai's current assignment had taken her away from home. Hokkaido was a dangerous place at the moment, and he worried for her. She was unable to tell him what the assignment was, but that was for safety's sake. Uchiha Sasuke liked his people alive, and Iruka was thankful for that.

Iruka's job was to get the supplies. He was not privy to what was done with them. If he were, he would be in much more danger than he usually was.

* * *

"Hinata-sama! What…" Hinata heard the voice of one of her maids as she blearily opened her eyes. Where was she? After blinking rapidly for a moment, she looked around. She was in her bedroom, on the floor. The maid was kneeling over her, those red-brown eyes filled with concern. "Hinata-sama, are you feeling well? Should I call for the doctor?" Hinata shook her head. The last thing she remembered, she was walking to her bathroom after her daily routine of swimming and yoga, then she just passed out. 

"I'm fine, Kurenai-san. Could you help me up?" The older woman took her arm, helping her up.

"Hinata-sama, please. You should not strain yourself. The baby…" Of all her servants, she liked this woman best. Even though she had only been with the Hyuuga family for a month, Yuuhi Kurenai was Hinata's favorite, mainly because she was like a big sister. "Come, on, we'll get you a bath." She allowed Kurenai to lead her to the bathroom, and sit her on the little couch. In about two minutes, the woman had started the bathwater, put Hinata's favorite lavender-scented bath oil and some bubble bath into the tub, and gotten all applicable cloths and bath implements. Kurenai was of the opinion that a good hot bath could do wonders for your health and mental state. Once, she had said that all the world needed was more hot baths, and there would be a lot less fighting. Hinata had giggled at that.

The air in the bathroom began to be filled with a lovely smell, and Hinata found herself relaxing already. Maybe there was something to Kurenai's theory after all. After stripping off her clothes, Kurenai helped her into the water, and excused herself. "If you need me, please do not hesitate to call. I will be tidying the other room." Nodding, Hinata settled herself against the back of the tub, bubbles up to her chest. There was definitely something to that theory. She relaxed, almost to the point of falling asleep, and let all of her senses shut down.

The door opened, and she was about to tell Kurenai to let her be for a few minutes when she heard cloth rustling. Her eyes flew open, and she saw the elegant form of Itachi in the dim light cast by candles near the mirror. He was removing his shirt, then the rest of his clothes. Doing her best to ignore him, she closed her eyes. Maybe if she pretended not to notice him, he would use the shower and leave. No such luck. Hinata felt his weight displacing the water in the tub, and then felt him slide behind her, wrapping his legs around her hips. Part of her was screaming in revulsion at him touching her, as it always did, while another was glad to have any human contact at all.

"Hinata, Kurenai has just told me that you passed out again," he said softly, his chin resting on her shoulder. She nodded, settling back against his chest. "I don't want you straining yourself. You could be hurt." Dimly, she wondered at the concern she heard in his voice. His hands ran down her shoulders, fingers trailing wetly across her skin. "I don't want anything to happen to you." Her breath caught as she felt his mouth on her neck, nipping at skin he knew was sensitive, and then she sighed involuntarily. Hinata could hate her husband all she wanted, but there was no denying that he was extremely good at this.

"A-Ano, Itachi…Ahh." Her brain simply shut down as his hands began to roam, not allowing her coherent thought. All of her hate was forgotten for the moment, and all she could do was enjoy the feeling of his hands on her, his mouth still lightly biting her neck, and the way his body pressed against hers, skin sliding over skin in the most excruciatingly erotic way possible. It was against her instincts, and also her better judgment, to allow him to do this to her again, but he was her husband, and if there was one thing that was made clear to her from the time she was a girl, it was that a woman gave her husband what he wanted. And at the moment, what Uchiha Itachi seemed to want was Hinata.

* * *

Closing his eyes, Neji tried to keep himself from seeing what he saw. Hinata, beautiful, kind, gentle Hinata, had found a moment of peace, only to have it ruined by that bastard, Itachi. Hiashi had asked him to watch over her, but somewhere in the back of Neji's mind, he was sure that this was not what his guardian meant. It wasn't healthy to be watching her like this. That was another thing that the back of his mind knew. But all of those things stayed firmly in the back of his mind, because he had shoved them there. 

So here he was, unwillingly watching Itachi seducing Hinata, and wishing he could rip that bastard of a man limb from limb. Kurenai had told him to 'chill out,' and she said that he was becoming obsessed. That, Neji could see. Obsession was something he was quite familiar with. His family was prone to becoming unhealthily fixated on things. But to be obsessed with a married woman, who was not only his clan's heir, but also his not too distant cousin…that was hazardous to his health. Still, he could not bring himself to leave his hiding place.

He had watched her sleep many times, trailed after her when she had gone shopping, and even accompanied her on occasion. But now, Itachi would not allow any man within ten feet of Hinata other than himself. How did he end up this way? How did he become a slave to Hyuuga Hiashi, with the brilliantly colored tattoo on his back making that obvious to anyone who had seen it? And how had he become a slave to this unhealthy obsession? He and Hinata had known each other since they were children. When he was a boy, he had hoped to one day be able to prove himself worthy of her. She had always been so kind and gentle, loving and beautiful. Now, she was far beyond his reach. Cursing his fate, he glared daggers at Itachi's back. He wished that he did not see this.

Hinata's arms now wrapped around Itachi's neck, her eyes closed. Her beautiful face was almost contorted in pleasure, and the sounds escaping her slightly parted lips were making his throat go dry. In vain, he cursed the fate that had brought Uchiha Itachi to them. Had it not been for Itachi, his fate may have been different. It might have been him with her. It might be his hands on her, him she was holding so tightly. She might be breathing _his_ name, instead of Itachi's as she was overwhelmed by pleasure.

God, he couldn't take any more of this. He replaced the small piece of the picture on the wall in the bathroom, and walked quietly back through the secret passage to his room. The house was riddled with such passages, and he was one of the three people that knew of them. Only he, Hiashi, and apparently the new maid, Kurenai, had any idea that they existed. She was rather nosy, but she took good care of Hinata, so he wasn't going to fault her for being a busy-body. As he arrived at the door to his room, he listened for a moment, and then pushed the panel forward, entering into his closet. Almost immediately, he was hauled unceremoniously into his bedroom, and thrown onto his bed. His surprise lasted only long enough for him to see who it was.

"What did I tell you about watching her, Neji?" Kurenai hissed, glaring down at him with those oddly reddish eyes.

In a bland and disinterested voice, Neji replied, "That it isn't healthy, and that I should stop."

"Then why, pray tell, are you still doing it?" Her eyes seemed to glow in the dull light of the room, showing her displeasure. Why had he befriended this woman? He should have killed her when he had the chance. Now, he knew just as much about Yuuhi Kurenai as she did about him. She was Hinata's favorite maid, and she would be missed. He stared at her, wishing that she would go away. Did he really want to discuss this? Did he have a choice?

"Why do you need to know?" He knew well that he was being evasive, but he didn't want to answer her questions.

"To establish motive. Depending on your answer, I may be able to help you." What did she mean by that? His suspicions were growing by the second, and he wanted to get the hell away from her. "Answer me, kid."

"If I tell you, will you leave me be?" She nodded. "Fine. If you must know, I love her, okay?" She smiled, more a showing of teeth than anything else. His eyes widened in alarm, and he inched away from her as he sat on the edge of the bed. What the hell was that look for? Hyuuga Neji was rarely afraid of anyone, but this was coming quite close. She looked at him like she was going to eat him at any moment.

"That's good. Sasuke-sama will be happy to hear it."

"W-what?"

"I work for Sasuke, occasionally. At the moment, I am being paid handsomely to pass along information about your cousin's husband. Since I know how much you hate him, I was hoping to offer you the opportunity to aid us. We're looking to get rid of Akatsuki completely." His breathing stopped completely. Get rid of…? His mind worked very quickly, and then he nodded. "That's wonderful, Neji. You must not say a word of this to anyone, especially not Hinata."

"I am not allowed in the same room with her, Kurenai-san."

"That will change, very soon. I'll use the closet to talk with you. Just…don't watch her anymore, Neji. If you do, you'll only get hurt. Take comfort in the knowledge that she was forced to marry him. When we've gotten rid of him, I think Sasuke might have a few encouraging words for Hiashi. Who knows, ne?" At that, he smiled weakly. He could hope, could he not?

* * *

**Japanese terms used:**

**Shogi**: a game that resembles Go, but with tiles having kanji (Japanese characters) on them.

**Hai**: yes

**Seppuku**: ritual suicide. Usually performed by using a tanto (short-bladed knife) to stab one-self in the stomach, after which the blade is yanked firmly to one side, thus eviscerating the practitioner.

**Arigato**: thank you

**Ne**: connotation is equivalent to "hey", and is used to get people's attention in a familiar setting. Also used to ask a question, such as "Hot day, ne?" Meaning "Hot day, yes?" This is achieved by raising the intonation at the end of the word, "ne."

**Dobe**: connotation is usually "moron" or "idiot".

* * *

**A/N:** Okay. I know it was a little fragmentary, but I'm hoping that the next chapter won't seem like that. We at least got to see more of Kakashi (he's another one of my favorites...)! 


	5. The End of Blood Feud

**A/N:** hehe. This is the fifth installment! I have to say that compared to the last four, this one's my favorite, simply because of one scene. But, I'm not going to give anything away, so I'll just give you the warnings. I've been getting questions about who's Seme and who's Uke...well, I'll say it the way I have to those who asked in their reviews/pm's. Neither one is, really. They take turns. But to me, it seems like Naruto's a little more forceful and a much more...active participant than Sasuke is.

**V--**Threat of violence by Naruto, and Sasuke decking our hero, just to make a point.

**FL**--Naruto and Sasuke both have potty-mouths.

**L--**A rather detailed lemon after a fight between Naruto and Sasuke. Make-up sex...

**C--**Japanese terms used...as usual.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

* * *

**Machi Yoko Naruto

* * *

Chapter 5:** The End of Blood Feud

* * *

Kakashi sat across from his ex-wife, Mitarashi Anko. She was still quite possibly the most abrasive woman he had ever met, but then again that was part of her appeal. When he called her, requesting a meeting, she had laughed, saying that he couldn't stay away from her if he tried. She didn't even sound surprised that he'd found her. But Anko's confidence was, for the time being, misplaced. The air in the small booth fairly crackled with the tension between his ex-wife and Ino. Anko was ignoring her to the best of her ability, but that was rather difficult when the girl was _petting_ Kakashi the way she was.

Ino had, of course, worn the least appropriate thing she could think of, just for effect. The red and black pleated schoolgirl skirt she had chopped off just a little too short went perfectly with her fishnet stockings, black halter top, studded leather belt, and the ever-present knee-high combat boots. She looked like she was trying to make every man within a six-mile radius want her. If that had been her plan, it had certainly worked. She got stares as they walked into the coffee shop, and the busboy dropped a tub full of dishes, not even noticing that every piece of dishware inside it had broken. She shrugged them all off. Kakashi thought back a day or so. They had gone on a date.

He had anticipated her answer to his question by about a day, and that had given him time to prepare accordingly. His favorite restaurant, Angelle's, was only open on weekends. It being Tuesday, he rang Angelle, and called in a favor, having the place ready to be open only for he and Ino on Wednesday night. The girl had been delighted with everything, and as a result, Kakashi had enjoyed the best night of sex he'd had in years. Well, one of the best. She was forever yanking him into closets, shoving Sakura out of the room, or simply groping him in public. Not that he really minded. There was a reason he liked aggressive women, and that was because Kakashi was lazy, and aggressive women liked to take the initiative. Which meant: less work for Kakashi.

At the moment, he was attempting to speak calmly and rationally with his ex-wife, while his current lover ran her hand up his thigh and between his legs. While it did feel quite…nice…he did have a job to do. "Ino, darling, could you please wait five minutes?" She pulled her hand away reluctantly, and pouted. "Don't look at me like that." He leaned down to her, and whispered to her, "Wait until we get back. Then, you pick the time, place, and position, okay?" A grin spread over her face, and she kept her hands obediently to herself.

"Kakashi, if you don't mind, I have a café to run. Make it quick, bastard." Anko's eye twitched. She didn't seem disposed to watching them together. So, she pushed up the sleeves on her black sweater and simply waited, an annoyed look in her eyes.

"Sasuke needs you to do us a favor."

"Well. That was quick. I see you haven't lost your touch. No unnecessary talk, ever. Makes me miss you. But …I digress. What does he want?" She crossed her arms under her breasts, waiting for his answer.

"You remember your old friend from college? The one who Sasuke doesn't like very much?" Anko's eyes widened, almost fearfully, but she nodded. "Well, Sasuke needs you to gather some information on him. No one would suspect you, because you have nothing to gain from this. That, and the fact that you hate my guts." That made her smile. He knew very well that she did not hate him. It had been the Uchiha that broke up their marriage. He was far too loyal to them, and she didn't like the fact that he had to occasionally sleep with other women to get his job done. She was, to say the least, not happy with him for his choice of profession, but she did admire his loyalty.

"And what does he need me to find out?"

"His business connections. Get inside, and get as much information on his financial ties as you can. That way, we can hit them where it hurts before we get rid of them." Kakashi leaned his chin on his palm, watching her.

"Should I screw with anything while I'm in?"

"No. Don't leave any evidence." He leaned across the table, concern lacing his voice and a warning in his eye. "We don't want you to be a hero, Anko. Just do what you do best. We just need you to do a little hacking for us. You in?"

Anko's characteristic evil grin slid across her features. "You called the Snake-Charmer, and she's ready. How much?" A faint smile flitted over his face at the old handle, and she smirked back.

"How much do you want?"

"I think I could handle…100,000 in American currency." Anko smiled at him, and he knew she was trying lowball him.

"Why so little?" He asked, and he felt her foot slide up his pants leg for a moment before he could stop her. Kakashi had to control the old twitch of his eyebrow at that. "For old time's sake? Anko, we'll give you 200,000. You're an artist. Are our negotiations complete?" She nodded, and he took her hand, giving it a firm squeeze. "Until I see you again."

"Goodbye, Kakashi. And you—" she pointed at Ino, "—If I find out that you hurt my Kakashi, you'll find yourself in a world of hurt, understand?" Ino simply stuck her tongue out at Anko and walked out of the café.

"You still trying to take care of me, Anko?" He asked, his good eye squinting as he smiled.

"I'll never give up on you, _baka_. You know that." She walked past him to the counter, and pulled out her laptop. It was painted bright blue, and had stickers all over it. Kakashi had to smile. She would never change. Turning it on, she said, "Now get out of here. I have some work to do, and that minx looks like she's getting impatient." Kakashi looked outside, and saw Ino. She was standing with her arms crossed under her breasts, tapping her foot in irritation, and completely ignoring everyone around her, staring up the street. He turned back to Anko, nearly biting his lip.

There was no question that he still loved her. It was just not possible for the two of them to be together. He itched to go outside and tell Ino to take the car back by herself. She was a distraction, something fun for him to take his mind off of what he really wanted. As Kakashi watched Anko put on her glasses to work on her hack, he sighed quietly. Well, Ino wasn't looking and even if she was, she could bite him. He walked directly over to where Anko leaned over her computer, and reached across the Formica counter top to grasp her chin. "I haven't given up on you either." A small smile crossed her lips, and he brushed a similar smile over hers in a gentle kiss. He had to keep himself from deepening it, from crawling over the counter and doing all of the things he had been dreaming of doing to her for years. His self-control was legendary, so he succeeded in his effort, and pulled away after managing to keep the kiss chaste.

"Ohh. That's not a good thing for you to do, darling. What about the minx?" Anko's voice was a sarcastic whisper.

Kakashi shrugged. "She's cute, but you know she'll never replace you. No one can." He pulled his body back over the counter. "Can I come to see you?" She always seemed to move once he found her. This had been going on for six years, now. He didn't want her to run away from him again. She had never approved of his _yakuza _connections, and he really couldn't blame her. But for her to divorce him and run? He had never understood, and would never understand. She eyed him suspiciously. "I promise, it will be personal. No business. And I'll leave the minx at home."

"I love you, Kakashi, you know that. But I hate that you've become this…farce of a man. If there's no ulterior motive, then I have no problem. But if you even _mention_ Uchiha Sasuke, Ino, Sakura, Ibiki, or that new kid to me, I swear, I'll hit you so hard, you'll be dead before you hit the floor. Got it?" She had placed both hands on the counter and was leaning dangerously toward him. He nodded and kissed her again, his lips lingering on hers in the most wonderful of ways, and his mind going pleasantly fuzzy. When he pulled away from her, she said, "Now, what are you doing? I am supposed to be working here. How do I do that if you make my brain all scrambled?" Laughingly, he smiled, glad that his wasn't the only brain having problems functioning. He gave her a small wave, and left the café. Though he tried to feel sorry for Ino, Kakashi couldn't gather the strength to do it.

* * *

The morning light spilled through the window, illuminating the room. Uchiha Itachi's eyes opened glinting a dull reddish brown, and he looked around the bedroom he shared with his wife. Hinata lay next to him, her dark hair spread over her pillow, lying on her stomach. The sheets had worked their way down to her waist in the night, revealing the soft curves of her body, and the intricate tattoo that flowed over her entire back, and down her buttocks. All black lines with white and pink in-fill, the dragons, stars, flowers and waves that played over her skin seemed to glow in the early morning sun. She was perfect. 

Her body was exquisite, and her innocence was not feigned, unlike most women of the_ yakuza_. Together, they were irresistible to him. Hinata was the perfect woman for him, with her beauty, innocence, and wonderfully well-placed connections within the Hokkaido _yakuza_. She hated him, he knew. It didn't matter. One day, she would come around. One day, she would love him. And on that day, everything would be perfect. The Akatsuki would rule all of Japan, and he would have his Hinata, body, mind, and soul. His only concern was the fact that she seemed rather…disobedient. Running one finger gently down her spine, he shuddered at the feeling of her skin, remembering the night before. She was so very pliable when they made love, yet in any other situation, she remained utterly defiant. They would have to work on that. He had already forbidden her to communicate with Sasuke, but who knew what else she was doing, trying to hide it from him? For one thing, he knew she had been training, even though he had forbidden her to do so from the instant he had found that she was pregnant.

He could not afford anything happening to her. Mentally, emotionally, financially, and socially, Itachi simply had far too much invested in Hinata to allow her to do exactly as she pleased. If not for having her watched as closely as possible, and forbidden any man to come close to her, he would have been sure that she had a lover. Had she wanted to, he was certain that she could have had one. Especially, he thought, if she had an interest in her seemingly cold and unfeeling third cousin, Hyuuga Neji. The man was a block of ice. Of course, people said the same thing about him, but he was Itachi, which meant, of course, that the ice only covered what hid beneath. Neji, on the other hand, had a way of looking at his wife that made Itachi want to cut the man's eyes out. A small smile came over his face at that. His hand traced the largest of the stars on Hinata's back, causing her to shiver. Itachi was very possessive of his things, and he did not want anyone making his Hinata shiver, whimper and moan other than him. She was his, and of all people, he would not lose her to a man who had already been warned of what happened to those who played with Itachi's things. If there were one man whose blood would satisfy him, it would be Neji's. At the moment, he didn't even care if he got to finish the job he started with his family. He just wanted to kill that nuisance.

So he rose from bed, ghosted a kiss over Hinata's lips, and went off to search for his spy after dressing himself. She was rather an interesting character. Kurenai. Such a fascinating woman. He had begun to wonder if she was his long lost sister. After all, she had his eyes. That, and she seemed not to care what anyone thought of her. It was obvious that she was there for one reason, and one reason only: pleasing him. It wasn't as if he cared. She had an infatuation, and he actually found it rather amusing. All he had to do was look at her the right way, and she would tell him anything he wanted to know.

Now, he knocked on the door to her small room. When she answered the door in nothing but a bed sheet, he nearly rolled his eyes. _Now, that's desperate._ "Kurenai, I'm going out. Please watch her for me. Don't let her train, and do not under any circumstances allow her into the sauna." She nodded, and he thanked her on his way out. It had been some time since he'd seen his associate, who was on Okinawa.

* * *

"What the hell are you talking about, Shikaku? My bodyguard has no influence over my decisions." Sasuke leaned dangerously across the table. Nara Shikaku had requested a private meeting to express his concerns. Sasuke glanced at the far corner of the room behind his guest, where Naruto was stationed. He was silent, and seemed unconcerned with the conversation, though if one knew him, they would be able to tell how he tensed at the insinuation that had just been made. 

"With all respect, _oyabun_, I do not mean to infer that there is anything untoward going on. And far be it from me to think that the Uzumaki has been using you as a puppet. However, certain facts have come to my attention which are rather…disturbing." Shikaku laced his fingers in his lap, and chose his words carefully. "My son has told me of the last time he saw Naruto. They were best friends. Now, the boy has declared blood feud on us." Sasuke's eyes again flicked to where Naruto stood. The blonde's blue eyes widened, and he gave a tiny shake of his head to refute this. Sasuke had been there, but he had not really paid much attention to the interaction between Shikamaru and Naruto. He had been too busy simply staring at the fiery blonde, so captivated by him that he seemed not to hear anything.

"Naruto, come here." He pointed to a spot on the floor on his left. Doing as he was instructed, Naruto sank to his knees, eyes on the floor. The man's attitude around others was completely the opposite of his private demeanor. Though Naruto would yell and scream at him for being a cold, unfeeling bastard when they were alone, he was obedient and thoughtful when he was working in an official capacity. "Naruto, did you do as Nara-san has said?"

Eyes still on the floor, Naruto said quietly, "No, Sasuke-sama. I only declared blood feud on Shikamaru. Not the entire Nara clan."

Shikaku stood, and with an uncharacteristic outburst of anger, roared, "I have never heard of such nonsense. Blood feud is not declared on one member of a clan." Sasuke could only watch helplessly for an instant as the clan head drew his weapon. Naruto moved, almost faster than he could see. His sword flashed from its sheath as he stood and jumped over the table.

Naruto flipped the _katana_ so that the back of the blade ran across his forearm and placed the blade of the sword at the Nara's neck, all in one frighteningly beautiful fluid motion. In a growling tone, Naruto's voice came in a warning. "No man draws steel in Sasuke's presence. Is that understood? Put it away, Nara." Shikaku's eyes widened, and his hand shook for a moment before he was able to sheath his _wakizashi_. "Now, Nara-san. Sit, and I will explain things to you in a civilized manner." Shikaku stiffened for a moment, but sat, and only when he had did Naruto put away his blade. Once he had, the bodyguard sat and said, "You know me, Nara-san. I am not my father. I do not follow the _yakuza_ code so strictly. It is not your clan that my quarrel is with. I will not forgive Shikamaru for selling me into the life I swore I would not lead. But here I am. For this, I have declared blood feud. Not on the entire Nara clan, only on him."

"But Naruto," Sasuke said with concern in his voice, "you must realize, if you say you will kill a clan's heir, then they will certainly try to kill you first. And I cannot have that. You will serve out your father's debt. I am overruling you in this, Naruto. The blood feud is now dissolved. Is that understood?" Naruto's face turned a vague shade of pink. He was trembling ever so slightly, holding himself back. For just a moment, Sasuke feared that Naruto would attack him. When he did not answer, Sasuke said, "Naruto?"

"_Hai_, Sasuke-sama. I understand." His eyes were on the floor again, and his face had returned to its normal color. He was not happy, and Sasuke knew he would hear about it later. Shikaku seemed satisfied with this.

"My thanks, Sasuke-sama. You can count on the full support of my clan." With that, the man rose and bowed out of the room. Sasuke soon found himself pinned to the floor.

"Why?" There were tears in Naruto's eyes as he stared down at him. He had never seen the other man like this. It was not like him to simply cry when he had Sasuke in a position to pound him. Instead of lashing out, Naruto simply shook with impotent rage. His hands were clutching at Sasuke's shirt, pulling him slightly off of the floor, so that their eyes could meet. "Why?" Why had he dissolved the feud? There were numerous reasons. One was that he needed Shikaku's support and Shikamaru's tactical skill. Another was that he didn't want to deal with the drama associated with this sort of thing. But his main reason was what he voiced to Naruto.

"Because. I didn't want you becoming a murderer because of me." Narutos' eyes widened in alarm. Sasuke reached up with both hands, touching Naruto's face. He dried the tears his fingers found, smiling slightly as Naruto leaned instinctively into his touch. "I don't want you ruining yourself because I wanted you." He was dropped unceremoniously onto the floor, and Naruto turned away from him. Sitting up, he put a hand on the other man's arm. "I understand if you hate me. I do."

"I don't hate you, Sasuke. I could never hate you. That's the problem." Sasuke was just about to ask him what that meant before he looked over his shoulder at him, from the corner of his eye. "My life is in your hands, just like yours is in mine. I guard your life. It's my job. If you really wanted to, you could kill me with a look, with a gesture. We're even in that. The problem is that I can't hate you for turning me into your guard-dog. That's all I am, really, just a—"

"Shut your mouth, _dobe._"

"What?"

"I said, shut your fucking mouth. Don't you _ever _say that again." At these words, those big blue eyes seemed a bit frightened, and not a little confused. "You are much more to me than a bodyguard."

Naruto sneered at him, and his words became ugly. "I know. I'm a great piece of ass, aren't I?" Sasuke could not believe what he had just heard. Anger began welling up inside him, so much that he shook where he sat. Because of that rage, he did something he had never really done before. He hit Naruto. One well-place left hook, on the right side of his jaw, sending him crashing to the floor, and Sasuke was on him in an instant.

"Naruto. Do you have any idea at all how I feel about you?" The still slightly dazed man blinked up at him, but then began to squirm, though he was unable to break Sasuke's grip. "I studied you, thinking you would make a good bodyguard. I knew you would. I found I could trust you, almost instantly. I can count on one hand the people I trust, Naruto. I allowed you into the most private areas and moments of my life. You are there for every waking moment of my existence. Why? Because you're the only person I can imagine sharing that with, you asshole!" Naruto's breathing had stopped, but Sasuke could not care one bit at the moment. He shook him like a rag doll. "How dare you even think those things?"

"Because you're a cold bastard, Sasuke." Having it put so bluntly and succinctly to him, Sasuke was at a loss for words. The words slapped him in the face, and he flinched from them.

"Naruto…" He did not know what to say. There was no refuting the statement. He was cold most of the time. But it served a purpose. It kept people at arm's length. He tried very hard not to be that way with Naruto, but it was at times difficult to keep the public and private areas of his life separate.

Naruto's eyes burned, blue fire that threatened to consume Sasuke's entire world. "What, Sasuke? What do you want to say? That you're sorry? I don't think that sorry will make it all better. No, I think that you're going to have to try a lot harder—"

That was all the talking he could take, and he settled his entire weight onto Naruto, letting go of his arms and gripping his face in his hands. His tight hold contrasted almost painfully with the hesitancy and gentleness with which he pressed his lips against those of his lover and protector. His heartbeat was quickening with each passing moment, and as he took in the feeling of the man below him, the softness of his skin, the scent of him, the firmness of the muscles beneath layers of silk, he felt something inside himself break. He did not want to lose this. If he did, he did not think the result would be very nice.

Finally pulling away from a kiss Naruto had refused to respond to out of sheer spite, Sasuke looked into eyes that burned with uncertain and intense emotion. "Don't leave me, Naruto. Please. I need you." As the other began to speak, he stopped him. "No. Not as a weapon, and not someone to have sex with."

"Then what the fuck do you need me for?"

Again, Sasuke hit him. He used his position as leverage, and punched Naruto as hard as he could, causing his head to snap to the left. He couldn't be sure, since his anger had driven him to distraction, but Sasuke thought he heard Naruto's cheekbone break. "Damn it, Naruto! Do you think you're the only one who has emotions? For God's sake! Do you think that for some reason I'm incapable of loving you? If that's the case, you can stop thinking that this instant." All of the anger seemed to melt out of him then, and he pushed himself off of the floor, walking over to the window. He stared out into the garden, where the little waterfall spilled over moss-covered rocks. Looking at his garden, things seemed so simple. There were paths that led to predictable places, and everything was maintained to perfection. It was utterly unlike life.

He leaned his forehead against the glass and shut his eyes tightly, balling his hands into fists. Why did Naruto have to be like this? Why couldn't he just see that Sasuke was trying to protect him? He couldn't see that he loved him more than anything in his entire world. If Naruto wanted him to, he would walk away from everything. He would forget his revenge, his clan, his life, everything.

Shuffling footsteps approached him, and Sasuke felt a hand on his arm, pulling, turning him around. Before he could even open his eyes, he could feel Naruto's lips on his. At first, it was a soft kiss of apology, but then Sasuke felt his mouth being coaxed open by Naruto's tongue, and once it was allowed entry, it stroked his own soothingly, telling him that everything was all right. He began to respond to this treatment, kissing Naruto back with greater intensity. It was an affirmation that his world would not fall apart, would not go away. Soon, bodies became involved in the dance their mouths had begun, and he was pressed against the wall, moaning at the feeling of Naruto's hands on him. He was being undressed slowly, teasingly, as words were whispered in his ear, and joy spread through his entire body.

The tone of Naruto's voice was low, almost throaty, and choked with sudden emotion. "I thought that you didn't care…I thought you didn't love me…that you would never love me…Sasuke…" There was a slight stinging in the corners of Sasuke's eyes, and wetness on his cheeks as he felt Naruto pause in his disrobing efforts. "_Ashiteru yo_, Sasuke."

"_Ashiteru_, Naruto." His body ignited with a passion he had never before experienced, and he tore at the other man's clothes, not knowing what he was doing. His hands fumlbed blindly, losing their grip, but not giving up. It took him three tries to yank Naruto's _haori_ off. Sasuke was far too overwhelmed by the sensations his body felt, and the fact that finally, he knew that Naruto would not leave him. When all of their clothes were in piles on the floor, Sasuke allowed Naruto to lay him down.

Submissiveness was not generally part of Sasuke's character. But as he watched Naruto lean over him, he sighed at the look on his face, and spread his legs in complete surrender to this man he had come to love. Hands slid up his thighs, stroking sensitive skin that only became more so with each touch. Sasuke could not take his eyes from Naruto's face. There was an expression of pure elation in his eyes, which also seemed to radiate from his body, and into Sasuke. It was a feeling of expectancy, as if he were anxiously awaiting something utterly wonderful to happen. And, Sasuke supposed, in a way he was.

Naruto's mouth joined his hands, and a small cry escaped Sasuke's lips as he reached down to run his fingers through messy blonde spikes. Incapable of truly coherent speech, and overwhelmed by the force of the emotions he felt, he breathed partial sentences only. "God, Naruto…amazing…love you…please…" He began to writhe with anticipation. Naruto was nipping and sucking at a spot on his hip that was very sensitive, which he always did, because he said he liked to watch Sasuke's face as he did this. As he traced Sasuke's hipbone with his tongue, Naruto ran his hand over Sasuke's straining manhood, cool fingers ghosting over hot flesh. Those fingers soon set to work tormenting Sasuke by stroking him in an agonizingly slow rhythm.

Sasuke began to whine, thrusting his hips into Naruto's hand, but he was held in place until the tormenting hand was replaced by an equally evil mouth. In addition to Naruto's tongue traversing the length of his erection, he could vaguely feel the man's own hardness pressing against his leg, rubbing, and trying to relieve some of the tension that was building inside him. After what seemed like forever, his torturer moved his mouth to trail kisses up his stomach to his chest, pausing only for a moment to pay brief homage to each of Sasuke's nipples in turn. Naruto then attacked Sasuke's lips with his own, and took his breath away.

When he recovered, he said in a shaky voice, "No more, Naruto. No more teasing. Take me."

Naruto only smiled, and pulled him up from the floor into a seated position. He then straddled Sasuke's hips, and positioned himself at the correct angle before lowering himself slowly so that he whimpered as Sasuke entered him. The feeling of being inside Naruto like this was more than he could take. He buried his face in the blonde's shoulder, and wept as Naruto moved against him, causing beautiful sensations to wash over him, devastating him. Naruto gripped Sasuke to him tightly, thrusting against him harder and faster, moaning loudly, almost screaming. Sasuke could feel those sounds as well as hear them, and though he was utterly silent, he was so close to completion that he had to hold himself back as he reached between himself and Naruto.

Taking Naruto's erection in his hand, he stroked it lovingly, though out of sync with Naruto's movements. Soon, the thrusts of the other man slowed to match his own pace, and Sasuke found himself finally able to voice his pleasure as he released himself into Naruto just before he heard the man's breath catch at his own completion. He and Naruto sank to the floor, and Sasuke found Naruto's _haori _and _hakama_, and used them to cover them with. They did not go to sleep, but lay in each other's arms, every now and again exchanging a kiss, a touch, or whispered words.

* * *

Ino's eyes narrowed. "I know. You don't have to tell me, Kakashi. I wasn't looking to become your future ex-wife." She grabbed his shirt, and yanked him forward. "I just wanted to know what it was like. Now that I know, I can say that if you ever feel the need, no date is necessary. All you have to do is ask." Her hand drifted suggestively down his chest, and he shivered. She was taking this…rather well. He had just told her that he could not sleep with her anymore. As he felt her hands moving toward his belt, he grasped them tightly, and shook his head. "You know, _sensei_, sometimes, you're more fun than I can handle, and others, none at all." 

"That's what makes me so irresistible." He said this with a smirk and a wink, and she laughed. "You really don't mind?" She shook her head. How someone so utterly abrasive could be so understanding of his situation, he had no idea. He supposed it came from dealing with Sasuke and himself for a long time. While she was no match for Sakura in intelligence, Ino was no idiot. She was a spy for her observation talents, and she had seen the way Kakashi looked at Anko in the café. "Okay. Now that we've taken care of that, I have an assignment for you."

"Really?" Ino's voice was excited. "I hope it's more fun than when I was trailing Naruto. He's boring."

"It should be. You're not supposed to be really spying, though. It's more of an ambassador-like job. You will need to change your appearance, though, just to be safe. You're going to Hokkaido." He handed her a few photos, and she balked.

"Red hair, Kakashi? And do you have any idea how horrible I look when I wear nothing but black?" He chuckled, and took the pictures back from her.

"Just do it. Get Sakura to help you; you know how she loves to dye her hair. She's an expert. You leave for Hokkaido in the morning." After putting the photographs back in his pocket, Kakashi leaned back on his cushion. She eyed him suspiciously.

"Who am I going to see?" Kakashi handed her a small folder, and answered her before she could really read the information inside.

"Sabaku no Gaara."

* * *

**A/N**: Well, that was a bit less fragmented than the last chapter, wasn't it? As always, feedback is appreciated. 


	6. Nothing Expected

**A/N: **Okay. Here's chapter six, after much trepidation. I just wanted to issue a content warning: Gaara has eyebrows. There. I said it. And, he doesn't have a tattoo on his forehead. He just wears a lot of makeup, guys. Now, on with the description of the chapter. Here, we don't see much of our two favorite boys, as I'm getting more into the side-plots in this chapter. Some of the main players in this chapter are Ino, Temari, Gaara, and Kankarou. There is a lot to Sasuke's plan, and it's even a bit confusing to me, and I've got it all worked out. Therefore, I've chosen to reveal small snatches of it to you over the next few chapters. That way, you can have the moments of revelation that are so very fun! Oooh. And you find out a lot more about Naruto! Warnings:

**V--**Ino gets physical.

**FL--**Sasori has a potty mouth, and so does Ino and Naruto.

**P/L**--An almost lemon (forced) between Sasori and Ino. A little disturbing, hence the "P" for phsychological.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul

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**Machi Yoko Naruto

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**

**Chapter 6:** Nothing Expected

* * *

Tapping a long nail on the lacquered tabletop, she looked at the door. "She's late, Kankarou. Are you sure about this?" The man sitting in the corner nodded his shaggy head. Temari made an annoyed noise. This messenger, or ambassador, or whatever she was…she was taking a while. The Uchiha's idiot minion had sent an encoded message earlier in the week, and she had been annoyed beyond belief at the gall of her younger brother, when he accepted the conditions Kakashi had dictated. She still did not understand. Gaara knew they were to share the leadership of their clan until he turned twenty-one. Why their father had decided that the youngest of them was to be clan head, she would never know, other than the fact that the man seemed to like the fact that Gaara could be more vicious than even the Akatsuki if he felt like it. 

The door slid open, revealing the slight form of her younger brother, Gaara. He was swathed in a longer than necessary _kimono_ which was the color of dried blood. Her brother cast unsettlingly green eyes around the room, and raised an eyebrow in question. Temari shook her head. He sighed, but entered the room anyway and seated himself opposite Temari. She watched him from the corner of her eye. How he had turned out so different from she and Kankarou was beyond her. The red hair, the fondness for wearing more makeup than Temari did, and those strange clothes he wore…he couldn't be any more different than what their father would have wanted for a clan leader.

There was a light rapping at the door, and a serving girl appeared, all in gray, and said, "Yamanaka Ino has arrived."

"Send her in already!" Temari's voice was sharp, and the small girl flinched. The servant scurried away, and soon they heard measured footsteps echoing in the hall. From the sound of it, this woman had been trained. She had patience, and probably a lot of it. Unfortunately for Temari, that was not the case with herself. Things were never done fast enough for her liking, and it was a character flaw she had tried without success to get rid of. A moment later, a strange-looking woman appeared in the doorway. She had skin as light as Gaara's was under his make-up, and flame-colored hair with obviously dyed blonde streaks in it. Her _kimono_ was all black, and hung off of her shoulders, and would have bared a lot of her breasts if not for the electric blue fishnet shirt she wore beneath it. The woman stepped inside at Kankarou's invitation, and bowed deeply, her long hair falling into her face.

As she rose to her full height once more, she fixed Gaara with her deep blue eyes, and Temari watched a silent communication pass between them. "Leave us." Gaara's command came unexpectedly, and brooked no refusal. "Now." She grudgingly rose, along with her other brother, and left the room. What was going on?

* * *

The man she now was alone with looked her over as she moved casually over to the table where he sat. "Kakashi has sent a very interesting woman." His voice seemed bland at first, but she could hear something behind it, and her senses were piqued. Sabaku no Gaara was a very interesting man himself, and she wanted to know more about him. But, this was not a spying assignment. It was only her job to make personal contact with him, and discern whether they could count on him. 

"Is that a compliment, Gaara-sama?" She asked teasingly. Even in an official capacity, she couldn't repress her personality entirely. He raised an eyebrow. "You hide well."

He waved a dismissive hand. "My father taught me." It was Ino's turn to lift a brow at him. When he saw this, he pursed his lips. "I know what you're thinking. I do consider him my father, Ino-san. It doesn't matter to me who my real father is, or was."

She laughed musically. "But it matters to _us_, Gaara-sama. Your half-brother is in his rightful place as clan head, though he is not able to serve to his full potential at the moment, and even if you are only an illegitimate child by the same father, you are certainly aware that he needs to know. He has no family, otherwise. Both his mother and father were killed. You are his only living relative." Gaara was looking out of the window, and seeming not to pay attention to her. This caused her temper to flare. "Are you even listening to me?"

His abnormally green eyes turned to look at her, blazing pale jade fire at her. "I am well aware of the situation. I have known for some time about my true lineage, and I have no plans to reveal myself to someone who has no desire to acknowledge the fact that he is at all connected to his own past. He will remain ignorant, as far as I am concerned, until he takes part in his own destiny." Ino's eyes narrowed in irritation. He held her gaze, and though she was sure many people had quailed under his stare, she couldn't find the ability to even care about it. From her sleeve, she pulled a small package that had escaped the notice of the guards.

"There." She threw the envelope onto the table, and it opened, spilling photographs over the lacquered surface of the table. Ino watched as he sifted through them, staring at the man who was in every single picture. Gaara's eyes widened, and she saw the recognition in them. "You understand now, don't you?" Ino rose from her seat, and strode to the door, admittedly in a huff. "He has 'acknowledged' his past, and is serving out his father's debt to the Uchiha. And you, you arrogant bastard, will still deny him? He is your father's son, just as you are. Would you deny that?"

Gaara's face looked up from the pictures on the table, an infuriatingly calm smirk spread over his features. "This is my brother?" He held up a surveillance photograph, featuring the altercation between Nara Shikaku and Uzumaki Naruto. "This…animal?" Now, Ino would be the first to admit that she wasn't _extremely_ fond of Naruto, but he was a good man, even if he was a little boring. At Gaara's question, she became insensed, and strode over to him, after which she slapped him hard on the side of his face. His eyes narrowed at her, and he took hold of both her wrists, forcing her against the wall. "You dare to strike me, woman?"

* * *

Temari and Kankarou stared at the video screen. "Did she just…hit him?" Kankarou's stunned voice came from behind his elder sister. She only nodded. "And she's still alive?" Another nod. "Who the hell is she that he didn't just break her neck?" Temari only sat there. Kankarou pursed his lips in thought. His sister wasn't very patient, and she wasn't good with gathering information, either. So she would just sit there, staring. Her talents were more along the technical lines. She had designed the security system for their house, and their business offices in Sapporo, Beijing, London, and Seattle. Kankarou was more of an observer. A spy, if you will. 

He knew his trade, and he knew another spy when he saw one. So he could say beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yamanaka Ino was under Hatake Kakashi's direct supervision. Perhaps she was the protégé he had heard so much about? No, that couldn't be right. The woman he had heard of was much more unobtrusive, though she had a tendency to dye her hair often. He continued to watch the tape, absently scrubbing his fingers through his shaggy brown hair at random intervals. Perhaps it would be beneficial if he were to pay Kakashi a visit? If they were to be allies, then theymight learn something from each other…

* * *

"All of the pieces are falling into place, Sasuke-sama. Now, all we need is for Naruto to make the call." Kakashi lounged in his small room, and Sasuke sat in the corner, careful not to touch anything. The man was very paranoid, though Sasuke could not say that he blamed him. Barely escaping from an exploding cargo ship will do that to you. "He will call, won't he?" Sasuke wasn't sure, so he didn't answer. 

"What did you find out in your little information gathering expedition yesterday?" Sasuke changed the subject, since he really didn't want to talk about it.

"Well, Genma is still a bit tight lipped, as you can well imagine. He didn't even want to see me, at first. I did a little bargaining, and then he told me what I wanted to know." Sasuke watched the one-eyed-man. He was trying to draw out the point, and he didn't know how much he liked it. "Naruto's father was killed by a member of Akatsuki. I believe you're familiar with a man they call 'The Shark'?" Sasuke nodded. Kisame. Not only a shark, but a demon. He was vicious, and unpredictable.

"Does Naruto know?"

Kakashi nodded gravely. "He was the one who kept Kisame from taking his father's body. Those scars on his face are Kisame's doing. Sharp nails he's got." He watched Kakashi as he sipped his tea, and lifted a slim eyebrow at him in a silent question. "Oh, yes. Kisame is a cannibal. He eats parts of his victims. Usually the heart, liver, kidneys and brain." How Kakashi could sound so calm as he said these things, Sasuke didn't know. He himself wanted to vomit just thinking of it. And Naruto, _his Naruto_, would want to kill the man.

"What kept Naruto from killing him on the spot?" He knew that the man was more than capable, so there must have been some kind of problem.

"Your brother showed up." His stomach went queasy. Itachi had a hand in it? Then that would mean that Akatsuki saw the Uzumaki as a threat. Why? They weren't particularly powerful. Sasuke had found Naruto's father to be a first-class moron. Or, maybe it wasn't the old man they were worried about? Was it Naruto? Had the entire murder been to break him? That was altogether possible, knowing his brother.

"I have to get back. It's hard enough to get away. I don't want to think of what will happen if he wakes up and I'm not there." Sasuke had done this three nights in a row. He waited until Naruto was asleep in their futon, and he slipped away. When he snuck back into his room, and slid into the blankets beside his lover, he pulled the man against him. They would, one day soon, both have their revenge. It was a silent promise he made to Naruto.

* * *

Ino woke just before dawn to find a knife at her neck. "What?" 

"Get up." The voice next to her ear was gruff, and she swallowed audibly. How had they gotten around her security measures? As she rose from the bed, she wrapped the sheet around herself. It was hot in the room, since there was no air conditioning here, and she had slept nude. It was just a little too dark to see the man who stood next to her, had she looked at him. "What are you doing here, darling?"

"Who wants to know?" She tried to keep her voice as level as she could while trying not to feel hot breath on the side of her neck. A calloused hand ran down her back and ripped the sheet from her body. Her anger began to rise. Not only was this person rude, but he was also perverted. The man had still not answered her. Risking a little movement, she turned her face toward the man. As her vision adjusted to the dim lighting, she saw that his eyes were like black coals in the dark, and he wore a mask to cover the lower half of his face. The considerable bulk of his body was clothed in a dark suit, and he seemed to be standing in a way that indicated years of training. Ino could also make out the outlines of many weapons behind the fabric of his jacket.

"I'll ask the questions here, darling. Now, tell me why you're here." He pressed the knife to her throat again, and she felt it bite into her skin. A strangled gasp came from her lips as she felt the small trickle of blood run down her neck. She had to think fast. What to do? What to say? Finally, she said the only thing she could think of. A complete lie.

"I'm here to give information to Sabaku no Gaara."

"What information would that be?" The hand that had ripped the sheet from her was now pressed into the middle of her back. She was not going to be able to escape unless he let his guard down.

"About his family." The man's grip loosened, and he pushed her onto the bed. Now on her back, she had two choices. Her first was to let the freak do what he wanted, which it was becoming blatantly obvious that he was not sent to kill her, but to do something that she considered infinitely worse. Well, Yamanaka Ino would be damned if she would let this creep rape her. He stood over her, sheathing his knife. He was smiling. "I was supposed to tell him that his sister is going to betray him. Women are like that, you know. You never can tell when they'll turn on you."

The man raised a dark eyebrow. "I know. I've had six wives. I had to kill all of them."

"Why?"

"They were less than faithful." He leaned down over her, watching her, taking in each breath, and how she moved. "Itachi-san was right. You are lovely." At the mention of her cousin, Ino's eyes narrowed. What the hell did that bastard have to do with this? She tried to sit up, but he took hold of her wrists and held her there. "Now, darling, there are two ways we can do this. You can either cooperate, and we'll have a good time, or you can fight, and I'll have to make you a lot less pretty." She stopped struggling. "There's a good girl. Now, let's see if you taste as good as you look." He lowered the mask from his face. Ino nearly gagged as she felt his tongue on her skin, the warm wetness of it running up her stomach and between her breasts. The man let out a little moan as he looked back up at her face again. "Delicious."

He forced her legs apart, and put a knee between them, to make sure he wouldn't have to repeat this exercise. All she had to wait for was that one moment. That one moment when he went for his pants. Ino could bide her time until then, even if this man sickened her to the point that she wanted to vomit. He pulled both of her hands over her head, holding them there as he continued to explore her skin with his mouth. She could feel him hardening against her leg, and she longed to kick him. But it would be much more efficient to take him out all at once. Then, he let go of her arms, and she saw his hands reach for his zipper. In one swift motion, she kicked his crotch and the side of his head simultaneously, and he dropped to the floor. Then, she stood quickly and kicked his head again, just to knock him out. Then, she disarmed him and found his identification. Her eyes widened.

No one had ever seen the face of this man before, except for a few, in Akatsuki. It was Sasori, the mysterious spy-handler of the Akatsuki. They called him "The Puppeteer." She raised an eyebrow at the man on the floor as she flipped on the lights. He had such a smooth face. Almost like a child's. Sneering in disgust, she stepped on him to get to the bed again. Then, she picked up the phone. "Sasuke-sama? Yes, it's me. I have a member of Akatsuki here. He's knocked out. What should I do?"

He knew very well that she couldn't kill him. Ino was not an assassin. She was a spy. "Whatever you feel is necessary. If you can kill him, do it, but if not, improvise."

"Arigato, Sasuke-sama. I'm sure I can think of something." After hanging up the telephone, she smiled deviously. She used two of her best pairs of stockings to bind him, then tied the bed sheet around his ankles so that it was tight enough that she thought it would hold his weight. After that, she used his own knives to shred his clothes. This revealed the fact that he wore a sort of padded body-armor under his suit. After she got rid of that, too, she saw that he was actually pretty thin, and very pale. The Akatsuki really had some strange people. Then, she dragged his naked body over to the balcony. When she opened the door, she looked down at the ground. It was more than a hundred feet to the pavement of the private patio that the hotel owned. She smiled. With any luck, the man would kill himself just by struggling!

She attached the bed sheet to the iron railing. After hauling him upright, she tipped him over the edge, and he dangled there for some time. Smiling, Ino went back inside to dress herself and pack her things. One last visit to that odd but good-looking man, and she was going home.

Now dressed in a black strapless dress that fell to just below her knees, and her favorite knee-high black leather combat boots, she pulled on her matching leather opera gloves and fixed her hair into her usual ponytail before putting her bags on the bed. Then, she heard a gratifying squawk from the balcony. Sauntering over to the railing, she looked down. "Oi! How are you doing, Sasori?"

"You little bitch! I should have killed you!"

"What, so you could fuck my dead body? You sick bastard…Why don't you deliver a little message to my lovely cousin? Tell him that I may not have killed _you_, but it will take months to find all of the pieces of the next asshole he sends to fuck with me. Got me?" She watched Sasori's face reddening. "Oh, and don't struggle too much, darling. I can't vouch for my knot-tying skills where that sheet is concerned." She had read his file. He would have had sex with her, alive or dead. The entire Akatsuki Federation seemed to have a preoccupation with death. Cannibals, mass-murderers, necrophiliacs, you name it, they had it. She just didn't understand why. "Ja ne, Sasori."

She left the hotel, bags in hand, and took a taxi to see Gaara one more time before returning to Honshu. He received her in his private study. "I didn't think you would be back." He leaned back in his leather chair, watching her carefully as she set down her bags.

"Were you trying to run me off?" After a moment of watching him watching her, she raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Ino, I'll say this. You're persistent. Nearly to the point where it's annoying."

"It's one of my better qualities. That and I'm great in bed." She flashed a smile at him, and she thought she saw him blush again, but it was difficult to tell behind all of that makeup. "You didn't answer my question, Gaara." It was amazing to her that he allowed her to refer to him in such familiar terms. From what she knew of him, he had a short fuse, and she had lit it yesterday, but she was far from caring. One man sent to rape and possibly kill her was enough to desensitize her to almost anything.

"Why would I run you off? You're fun to have around. You keep me entertained." There was a light of amusement in his eyes. So, he did have a sense of humor. It was at her expense, but it was there.

"I'm leaving anyway. I just got attacked at my hotel." He started as she said this. "My lovely cousin sent fucking _Sasori_ to my room." Gaara's eyes narrowed. "You can imagine, I'm sure, what would have happened if Kakashi had not trained me so well?" He nodded. "I just wanted to tell you to think about what I said yesterday. Your brother deserves to know about you." She turned to pick up her bag, and felt a hand on her arm. When had he moved? When she looked up, she saw him staring down at her, those mesmerizing jade-colored eyes burning into her.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Ino shook her head at him, unable to speak. She was still too wrapped up in his eyes. It was like staring at a snake. You couldn't look away. "Why are you leaving?" She felt like he was hypnotizing her. Why did her head feel fuzzy? It was almost like she was drunk.

"I don't want to be attacked again."

"Stay here." She blinked. Did he mean for her to stay in his house? That was risky. When she said as much, he shook his head slightly. "No one knows you're here. You'll be safe. Stay." Before she could stop herself, she was nodding. How had he persuaded her with just his eyes? That was a gift, and she was jealous. She had to use her charm and usually a healthy amount of cleavage to persuade people. He had simply looked at her. That's all.

"Gaara, why do I feel…" She couldn't finish, because she didn't know how she felt. The only thing she knew was that she couldn't look away from his eyes. She didn't look away from them, even when she felt him putting his arms around her, pulling her close. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." His left hand moved up to the back of her head, removing the elastic band that held her hair in place, allowing it to flow unrestrained down her back. He ran his fingers through it, and she nearly closed her eyes, but that would have meant looking away from him, and she couldn't do that.

"Liar. What are you doing?"

As he leaned down to her, he whispered, "Nothing at all." His lips touched hers in a kiss that was barely there, and when he pulled away, she was left wanting more. He backed away from her, and rang a small bell for a servant.

Ino blinked. "Nothing, huh? I'll show you nothing." Closing the distance between them, she grabbed the front of his too-large gray _kimono_ and yanked him to her, pressing her lips firmly against his. Just as she was going to pull away, he grasped her face in his hands and very nearly attacked her mouth with his. She gasped, and he smiled against her mouth, then took the opportunity to lightly run his tongue over her lips as if merely tasting them. This had its desired effect, and she allowed his tongue to slide into her mouth and do things that she was unaware a tongue could do, even after kissing Kakashi. Finally pulling away from him after nearly a full minute, she blinked again. "You hide _very_ well, Gaara."

Just then, the servant he had called arrived, and knocked before entering. Gaara said, "Please take Ino-san's bags to the guest room nearest mine, Hoshi." The girl nodded and picked up Ino's bags before leaving. "You don't mind, do you? I may want to continue this conversation later, if that's all right with you." Ino nodded. "For now, I have work I need to do. If you like, you can wander around the house for a while until lunch. Do you like grapes?" Ino smiled, nodding. They were her favorite fruit. "I'll see you then." After placing a small, chaste kiss on her lips, he smiled in a way that just made her want to melt. Who knew he was capable of that?

"Later then. How will I know where lunch is?"

"When you hear the chimes, just find a servant, and they'll show you." He sat in his chair again, and she left the room to learn the layout of the house.

* * *

Naruto eyed Sasuke, who sat next to Kakashi. They were in the garden, both seated on a bench, and they were looking at him expectantly. Why did they have to do this to him? He didn't want to be involved. He didn't want to do anything other than serve his debt and get on with his life. The fact that his life now involved Sasuke made him a little nervous, but he could deal with it. But they were trying to get him personally involved in their little plot, and he wanted nothing to do with it. Really. He looked Sasuke in the eye and shook his head. 

"But Naruto, we need him. He's the only one who can get in and out of the Akatsuki headquarters unnoticed. And only you know where to find him." Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. He knew his teacher could do everything they wanted him to, because he had taught the blonde everything he knew about stealth, security systems, assassinations, and oddly enough, how to be at peace with himself as he used these skills. No one would have ever guessed that the holy man knew these things, or that he wasn't really a holy man.

"How do you know he'll come?" Naruto was being petulant, he knew. He just couldn't make himself care. Sasuke cocked his head slightly to the left, a sarcastic smile on his face.

"You're his favorite student. He'll come. Just call him." Reluctantly, he took the cellular phone from Kakashi, and dialed the number he had known since he was ten.

It rang sixteen times before the white-haired man answered it. "That you, kid?"

"_Hai_. I need to ask a favor of you." There was silence on the other end. Then an annoyed grunt. "I need you to come to Nagoya. Please, Jiraiya-sensei." The older man laughed.

"You must be serious. I'm usually addressed as _ero-sensei_. So, why do you need me?" There was amusement in his voice.

"I'll tell you when you get to Nagoya. Just get here no later than tomorrow afternoon, okay?" Jiraiya agreed, and hung up the phone. Naruto snapped the phone shut, and threw it at Kakashi. "Happy now? The Uzumaki clan is now active again. Damn it. I didn't want this, Sasuke, and you know it." Sasuke dismissed Kakashi so that they could be alone. After the other man left, he motioned that Naruto should come to sit with him. After he did, Sasuke leaned on him.

The weight of the Uchiha pressed against his side was comforting. He was the only constant thing in Naruto's life. Everything else seemed to be in a state of flux. Naruto's father once told him that the only thing that really stayed the same was the fact that everything changes. He felt Sasuke's hand on his arm, stroking the silk of his _kimono_'s sleeve. This simple, soothing gesture made him feel more at ease. "Naruto," Sasuke said, his voice seeming hesitant, "What would you say if I told you that you were no longer in my debt?" For a long moment, he sat stunned, and then turned his body to face Sasuke.

"What? Why? The amount of time was not determined, but…what's going on?" Suspicion rose in his chest like a poisonous wave, beginning to overpower his senses. "Do you not want me anymore?"

"No! I can't imagine ever not wanting you. I just…I don't want you to be with me because you have to. I know you're not happy here, even if you try to put on that smile all of the time. You need to be able to lead your own life, not be an attachment to mine." Sasuke was looking at his hands, which lay limp on his thighs. It was obvious that this had been bothering him for some time. Naruto bit his lip, wanting to tell him that he _was_ with him because he wanted to be. And why not? He was annoyed with the situation at first, to be sure. But Sasuke was not the mask he put forth to the rest of the world. He was not the cold and uncaring man everyone saw him as. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"Does this have to do with your Akatsuki operation?" He thought it might, since it was his lover's main concern, and had been for months.

Sasuke looked up at him with a guilty expression on his face. "I know who you're thinking of. You want revenge for your father's death. Kisame is one of the ring leaders of the Akatsuki, Naruto. If you're always around me, you might not be able to kill him." So that's what he was worried about? Naruto almost laughed at him. If that was all, then he didn't have to worry about anything.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Kisame knows he's a dead man walking. It is, and always has been only a matter of time. I am a patient man about some things, Sasuke. I can wait." His now former employer seemed relieved to hear him say this. Then the look in the man's eyes changed, and he leaned over to Naruto and kissed him, wiping away all thoughts that did not involve dark gray eyes and pale skin. When Sasuke broke away from him, he made a small noise of protest.

Sasuke got up to leave the garden, pulling Naruto with him. Apparently, even though he wasn't technically in Sasuke's debt, he was still going to be sticking to him like glue. Not that he minded, really. Being around Sasuke constantly had a few unexpected benefits. He found as many opportunities as he could to be close to him, which was beneficial to both of them. Naruto got to tease him endlessly, and Sasuke liked the teasing, up to a point, and then it was just time to find an empty room. Not that Naruto was going to complain about that, either.

* * *

**New Japanese term:**

**Ero-sensei:** basically, "perverted teacher"

* * *

**A/N:** Ah, young love. So, anyone think they know what's going to happen now that Sasuke's forgiven Naruto's debt? Whatever you guess, I'm sure it won't be anywhere near the truth. Anyhow, I hope you liked this chapter. I do. Gaara's one of my favorite characters, and I like the thought of him with a fiesty broad like Ino. No flames on pairings, k? 


	7. To Be Loved

**A/N:** And now we have Chapter 7! I am quite happy with the way that this chapter came out! There is one thing that I decided, and forgot to tell you about before. Unless it is a NEW term, I won't be keeping a list of Japanese words at the end of the chapters. It's just too much to read. I also wanted to explain why the story doesn't take place in Tokyo (someone asked me this the other day). Every story seems to happen in Tokyo. And, ever notice how Tokyo Tower always seems to get destroyed? So, it takes place in Nagoya, which is to the south west of Tokyo. Yokohama, also mentioned in this chapter, is very close to Tokyo, most likely within a couple of hours' drive. I mentioned Sapporo, as well, in another chapter. That's on Hokkaido (northernmost of the islands), and is the only really major city there. Warnings:

**V--**Anko beats the crap out of Orochimaru

**P/L**--Orochimaru and Anko have a disturbing lemon

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

* * *

**Machi Yoko Naruto

* * *

Capter 7: **To Be Loved 

Anko slammed her hands down on the counter, rattling her teacup on its saucer. "Damn it! Who the hell designed this shit?" She was annoyed, to say the least. There was no way to get into the Akatsuki's system from the outside. She had tried everything. Well, not everything, but just about. She only had one alternative, and she really didn't want to call him. Growling curses under her breath, she picked up the phone. She had to swallow her pride to merely dial the number, and after she did, when he answered the phone, she regretted it instantly.

"Anko-chan…so nice to hear from you. What can I do for you, dear?" Merely the sound of his voice sent chills up her spine. It was low and rasping, and she could almost see the smile on his lips. That cold feeling started to hit her, like he was in the room. It took some time before she could answer. Getting control of herself took a minute.

"I need your help."

"How do you ask, Anko-chan?" She nearly spat, she was so angry. This man infuriated her more than Kakashi ever had.

"Please, Orochimaru-sama, I need your help." It went beyond rankling to even let _those_ words out of her mouth.

"Okay." His voice was suddenly chipper, which scared her for some reason.

"Don't you even want to know what the problem is?" Anko frowned as he replied in the negative, and said that he would meet her at her café in fifteen minutes. She had no idea how he knew where she was, or even how he knew that it was her calling. It had been ten years since they'd seen one another, and her number wasn't listed. Then again, this was Orochimaru. He had taught her everything she knew, but nowhere near everything _he_ knew. After he hung up, she stared at the phone. Then panicking, she dialed another number. "Get over here. Fast. Orochimaru is coming, and you know how he is." The person on the other end of the phone agreed, saying they would be there in ten minutes.

She closed her laptop and stared around the empty café. Wondering for a moment if she should get a weapon or not, she Anko slipped the computer under the counter and waited. In less than ten minutes, Kakashi was running through the door. "He hasn't gotten here yet, has he?" She shook her head, relieved that he was here. "Good. I _hate_ that guy. Why did you call him?"

"I can't get in. I need his help." Her voice was dull. Anko didn't like admitting that she couldn't do something, and she really didn't like having to get help from Orochimaru. He had the unfortunate habit of asking for things she didn't want to give as repayment. "Coffee?"

"Sure. Two sugars. No cream." He smiled at her. It was good to have him near her. And she knew he felt the same way. "He isn't still working for the Akatsuki, is he?" Anko shook her head. He had stopped working for them years earlier. It was a difference of opinion with Uchiha Itachi that had forced him to leave. Now, he was a software engineer in Yokohama. Why he was in Nagoya at the moment, she did not know. Not long after she had poured Kakashi his coffee, Orochimaru sashayed into the café.

"Anko, darling, how I've longed to see you aga—oh, and I see you have a guest." His eyebrow rose, showing a bit of his displeasure at not finding her alone. "You have a lovely place. I wonder why it's empty?" Kakashi tensed next to her, holding his mug of imported Italian roast. Anko put a hand on his arm, and he relaxed.

"You remember Kakashi, don't you, Orochimaru-sama? My husband?"

The dark haired man pursed his lips. "_Ex_-husband, if I remember correctly."

"_Hai_. I'm sort of…re-thinking that position." Kakashi said, then smiled slightly as he sipped at his coffee. Orochimaru nodded, raising an eyebrow at him. "Well, I'll just be in the corner, reading. You two must have a lot of catching up to do." Anko smiled faintly as he walked gracefully to a corner booth, and pulled out one of the books he always seemed to carry. He slid into the seat, and settled in with his back against the wall, legs stretched across the faux-leather cushions. She knew he wasn't really reading, though he did make a convincing show of it.

"Orochimaru-sama, I'm doing a favor for Uchiha Sasuke. I need to get into the Akatsuki's system. But then, there's no way to get in that I could find. Not from the outside." She leaned the small of her back against the counter, and rubbed at the back of her neck. Remembering that he designed it gave her no satisfaction. She didn't want to have to rely on him when she got into a tight spot.

"Well, I see you have definitely got a problem. And since you remain my favorite pupil, I'll help you. On one condition." His voice seemed coated with honey. It flowed slowly, and it made her want to back away from him, even though she was already pressed against the counter.

"What is that?" It wasn't as if she didn't already know what he was going to say. He'd asked her for the same thing every time he had done her a favor. And every time, she had refused him, getting him to settle on a monetary payment. Since she was eighteen, he had been trying to get her to sleep with him.

Orochimaru leaned in close to her, his breath tickling her skin as he whispered in her ear. "I'll help you if you spend the night with me, Anko. One night, that's all I ask. One night is all I've ever asked for. It's all I've ever wanted." There were times when Anko hated being right. His hand touched her arm, and she shivered. It was always like that when he touched her. His skin seemed to soak up the cold of a room, like a sponge does water.

"I can't do that. It wouldn't be right. You were my teacher."

His hand clamped down on her arm, and she stifled a gasp. "You are not my student any longer, Anko. You are a grown woman who can make up her own mind. Now, what is your answer?" His breath, unlike his skin, was hot, and so close to her ear that it made her feel strange. She hated it when he did this. He had the bizarre talent of making her want him against her will. He knew exactly what buttons to push so that she almost said yes without wanting to, leaving that last little bit of free will to her. She was supposed to be the one to give in to him. It was her decision, but he manipulated her like a puppet.

"If I can make up my own mind," she breathed, "then why are you doing this to me?" She was looking out of the window now, at the people walking by, the cars parked in the street, anything not to look into his eyes. If she did, she knew what her answer would be.

His hand left her arm, and gripped her chin, turning it to face him. Unfortunately, she looked directly into his eyes. Light brown with oddly golden highlights, they had always mesmerized her, and now was no exception. "Because, my little one, you have _always_ been my favorite. And I can't forget how nice it was having you with me all those years ago. One night, Anko. One night, and I will never ask you again." She felt like she was being drawn into his eyes. Damn him, but she wanted him now. How he did this to her, she would never understand. She had always known that it would be wrong to sleep with him, so she had never done it. There were all manner of other sins she had to atone for in her next life, but she didn't want to add to them.

Her resolve began to weaken, and she gripped the counter behind her. "You promise? One night? Only that, nothing more?" He nodded. Closing her eyes for a moment and taking in a deep breath, she opened them, glancing from the corner of her eye at Kakashi. He made a small gesture. That tiny flick of his fingers told her he was not happy with the situation. She signed back to him one word: _sorry_. Then, she looked back to those strangely golden eyes. "One night. I'm not promising anything more than that. Not even that I'll enjoy myself."

He released her chin, and she looked away from him, shame burning under her skin. His lips barely touched her ear as he said, "You will, darling. I promise you will." Then, he switched into business mode so fast it made her head spin. "So, let's see how those morons have screwed up my beautiful design, shall we?" Anko walked around the counter and pulled out her computer. She opened it and let him work. In less than five minutes, he was in their system. "Oh, they have done such horrible things to you…" He cooed at the computer's screen, like he always had, as if it would answer him. She had always found this to be a bit strange, but it was one of the many things that made him Orochimaru.

"I need to find out as much as I can about their business dealings. If you could, leave a back door open. That way, I can get in and do it myself." He looked over at her, and smiled. She watched for a moment as he did as she asked. Then, he stood straight and grinned at her.

"I will be by this evening at seven to pick you up for dinner. Please, wear something…appropriate." He made that simple request sound indecent, which she supposed that he had meant to do. Orochimaru left the café with a triumphant smile across his face. She sank to the floor, holding her head in her hands.

After a long moment, she felt Kakashi's arms around her. He was warm, completely the opposite of Orochimaru. She clung to him, but was unable to look him in the eye. She wanted to scream. How had she let that man do this to her? Would Kakashi hate her? He pulled her up from the floor. "Lock the place up. I'm taking you home." Then he asked uncertainly, "Where do you live?"

"Upstairs." It was just more convenient to live above the café she owned. She walked to the door and locked it, then pulled the shades on all of the windows, and turned out the lights. "Kakashi, I—" She was not allowed to finish. Anko found herself being picked up off of the floor, and thrown over his shoulder. "What are you doing, Kakashi?"

He chucked as he made his way to the back of the café and opened the door to the stairwell. "Reminding you of how it feels to be loved." When they reached the first level of her apartment, he lowered her to the floor. She looked into his face. He was serious. "I do still love you. I never stopped." Kakashi took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "You're going to spend the night with him because you have to. I know that. You need to remember it, too." Anko stared at him. He was the same man he had always been, just strangely dressed and armed to the teeth. But, it was hard to make herself calm down when she thought of what would happen later that evening.

"Just hold me. I don't want to think about it right now." He pulled her into his arms, and they lay on the couch for hours, just holding each other. Every now and again, she would feel him stroking her hair, and she could hear him murmuring soothing words in her ear. It was difficult to tear herself away from him when it came time for her to get ready for her night with Orochimaru. She knew that Kakashi would follow them, and that thought made her feel a bit safer. After she stood up, she asked, "What should I wear?"

Kakashi's lips curled into a smile as he said, "I don't know. Let's take a look." He always seemed to know about such things, but she supposed it came with the territory of being a spy. You had to know at least a little bit about nearly everything. They climbed the stairs to her bedroom, which took up the entire third floor of the building. Once inside her closet, he set to work, handing her various pieces of clothing to try. In the end, he had settled on the last thing she would have imagined. It was her Halloween costume.

The dress was mostly leather, with a corset forming the top of the dress, and the skirt was split in front, revealing a layer of black silk. The rest of the thing was a dark blue, with the leather being suede. When she had it on, he raised his eyebrows. "I don't know if I want to let you outside in that," he said as she tied a black velvet ribbon around her neck. He handed her the gloves that went with the dress, which were also black, and nearly reached her shoulders, but for a cuff that folded down. Looking at herself, she tended to agree with him. Turning to Kakashi, she chewed her lip anxiously. "Come on, we'll do your face."

It was the strangest feeling in the world to have her ex-husband doing her makeup, but she guessed he'd learned it from the minx. When he was finished, she hardly recognized herself. Dark eye shadow surrounded her eyes, heavy on her eyelids, and she wore blood-red lipstick. It took all she had not to chew on her lip, a nervous habit she'd developed because of her old _sensei_. "I don't know that I can do this."

He smiled comfortingly. "Yes, you can. I know you can." He leaned down and kissed her lightly, careful not to smudge her makeup. "If you want, you can pretend he's someone else. That's what I do." She looked at him dubiously.

"Who should I pretend I'm sleeping with? How am I supposed to take my mind off of his hands on me?" Her stomach clenched. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to go through with it. Suddenly, he pulled her against him, kissing her forcefully, heedless of all his careful work, and she could barely breathe. The combination of the corset squeezing the life out of her body and him kissing her so that she wanted to rip all of his clothes off was driving her insane. He pulled away from her a moment later, and answered her in an almost breathless voice.

"Pretend he's me. I pretend I'm with you, so I think it's fair." He let go of her and repaired the damage he had done to his work on her face. Then, she took her hair down. It fell to the middle of her back, now that it was free of the messy knot she kept it in. "I have to go. He'll get suspicious if I'm here, but I'll be waiting for you when you get back." He reached into his sleeve, and pulled off one of his knives. It was completely flat, and very thin, even in its sheath. Pushing it into the top of her left glove, he said, "If things get out of hand, use that."

"Thank you." She smiled weakly at him, and watched him leave. Anko steeled herself for what was to come. It didn't make her any happier to know that he thought things might get so out of hand that she might need a weapon. Half an hour after Kakashi left, she heard the buzzer sound. Walking to the intercom, she pressed the button. "I'll be down in a moment." After taking up her small bag, she went carefully down the stairs and into the café. Unlocking the door, she opened it to see Orochimaru, standing there in an immaculate black tuxedo. His long, dark hair had been pulled back, revealing a smile that curved his lips.

"You look lovely, Anko-chan. Shall we?" She stepped out of the door and locked it, then followed him to the car.

* * *

Temari nearly screamed in frustration. Everyone had gone insane. Or, at least, both her brothers had. She looked at the note that Kankarou had left for her, yet again. He was going to get himself killed, being curious like he was. She was sure that he would learn a lot, but it could cost him a lot more. If Itachi found out that he had gone to Nagoya, Kankarou was as good as dead. Gaara was just as bad. He had been closeted all morning with _that woman_. Temari couldn't say that she liked Yamanaka Ino. She certainly couldn't figure out what Gaara saw in her. 

If anything, she figured they were just constantly having sex. Gaara had long since taken the cameras out of his rooms, which the security staff had been a bit worried about, but after six times of him delivering a box of camera equipment to her door, she decided to let it be. He could take care of himself. She made a very annoyed noise as a knock came at her office door. "Come in!" The door opened, revealing a tall servant woman, who bowed deeply to her.

"Temari-sama, there is a man to see you. He says he's here to evaluate your security system." Frowning, Temari narrowed her eyes, but gestured for the woman to let the man in. In a moment, a tall young man slinked into the room, slouching to seem shorter and less obtrusive. He had dark hair, pulled up into a spiky topknot, and a sullen expression. After the servant left, he looked around and seemed to relax a bit.

"Not bad. Mine's better." It took a lot for her not to gape at him.

"Who are you?" Her annoyance was betrayed in her voice, and he raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly formal, he bowed to her, and said, "My name is Nara Shikamaru. I am sorry for the deception, but a lame excuse is better than none, don't you think? I'm here on behalf of the Honshu yakuza, acting on the authority of Uchiha Sasuke. I've come to collect Yamanaka Ino." Temari smiled slightly. An errand boy? This was just the thing to release her frustrations with her brothers. Sharpening her claws on this loser would brighten her day considerably.

"She is currently with my brother, Gaara. You'll have to wait." For a long moment, she watched him. "In the mean time, why don't you have a seat?" He sat on a low couch against the wall, and she continued watching him. After ten minutes, he pulled out a small wooden box, which turned out to be a Go board. Opening it, he pulled two even smaller bags from the inside, and started playing himself at the game. His movements were fast. As he speed-played himself, he held the sleeve of his dark green kimono away from the board, so he did not disturb the pieces. Temari watched him play three games that all resulted in a stalemate.

After he replaced the stones in their bags for a third time, he looked over at her. "Care to play?" There was a smirk on his lips, and it was hard to resist the silent challenge it expressed. She nodded, and moved to sit next to him on the couch. They played fifteen games, both forgetting about Ino and Gaara, since they were both far too absorbed in their competition. After Shikamaru had won eight games over her seven, Temari huffed. "Oh, not used to losing, are we?"

"Not usually, no." That made him laugh. And his laugh annoyed her. "Let me see if my brother can peel himself off of that hussy so you can get her out of my house." She walked back to the desk, and pressed the button that would dial the intercom in her brother's room. He was going to be absolutely murderous after she did this, but she really didn't care at the moment. The appraising glance she was getting from Shikamaru was making her a little uncomfortable, and frankly, the sooner she got him and Ino out of her house, the better. In a quiet voice, she said, "Gaara, will you bring Yamanaka Ino to my office, please?"

There was silence, then a low reply. "Yes."

* * *

Ino groaned. What did that woman want with her? She and Gaara had been having a wonderful morning. She woke up when he came into her room and brought her a few daisies and her breakfast. In spite of earlier indications, he was a complete gentleman. He had not touched her, other than a gentle kiss good morning. When Temari had called, the both of them had been wrapped in a blanket on his bed, watching the birds in the garden outside his window. It was like being in some kind of sappy movie, but in a good way, if that made sense. Oddly enough, he made her feel like a lady, which she had never in her life been accused of being. 

Now, they were walking down the hallway, and he steered her on the right path, all the way to his sister's office. When the door opened, she frowned. "What are you doing here, Shikamaru-san?"

"Nice to see you, too, Ino. It's time to come back. Sasuke needs you." She bit her lip and inched toward Gaara. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "When things settle down, he _will_ let you come back, you know." She was relieved at that. "The plane leaves in one hour. Go get your things." Furrowing her brow in a frown, she pursed her lips. He raised an eyebrow at her. She had known him for a very long time. How she had not met Naruto before recently still boggled her mind. She sighed and left the room to get her things.

When she was stuffing her clothes into her bag, she heard the door open. Gaara came in, and she didn't look at him. If she did, it would be harder to leave. It was difficult enough already, and she didn't want to add to it. She wanted to kick herself. One of the first things she had been taught was not to get attached. The worst part wasn't that she had gotten attached. It was worse than that. Ino thought that she could fall for him, if she hadn't already, and she really, really didn't want to leave. "Ino, look at me."

"No." She continued to shove things into her bag.

Then his voice was next to her ear. "Look at me." It wasn't a command, but a plea that had force behind it. She turned to look at him, and was immediately pushed backward against the wall, Gaara's body pressed against hers. He leaned down and kissed her, letting his hands drift over her. It was like night and day dealing with him. If he wasn't being a complete gentleman, he was making her want to rip his clothes off of him and throw him bodily onto the bed. But she had no way of knowing how he would react to such a thing, so that was out of the question, and she was on a time limit. His hand found its way under the fabric of her shirt, moving over her skin, and her eyes closed. His mouth moved to her neck, teeth nipping at the skin just below her ear. His voice was a growl, low and full of a longing she could understand. "I don't want you to leave," he pressed her to the wall, and she nearly let out the whimper that was building at the back of her throat at the feeling of him. "Don't leave me, Ino."

She felt something like a stab of pain as he said that. Pushing him away just a little, so she could see his face, she said, "I wouldn't be able to leave the house. I don't want to be your pet, Gaara. When we've gotten rid of Akatsuki, then I'll come back."

"Promise me." He said lowly, and he kissed her again softly, as if trying to draw the words out.

"I promise, Gaara. I'll come back." She smiled up at him, and he smiled back, but sadly. If she looked at that smile too long, she wouldn't be able to leave. Ino had to step around him to pick up her bag. She took deep breaths. This was not easy, leaving him. When she had her bag, she said, "I'll be back soon," and walked to the door, opening it and stepping through. Making herself move forward and not back into the room actually hurt. She didn't want to leave. She _needed_ to stay. Ino could feel his eyes on her, watching her. She did not turn around.

When she got back to Temari's office, she found Shikamaru playing Go against himself. He only did that when he was nervous. She smirked, forgetting her own pain for a moment. "Oi. Shikamaru-san, I'm ready to go." He nodded, and put the stones and board back into his sleeve. When he bowed to Temari, Ino saw the woman eyeing him appreciatively. Ino smirked again. They would both deny it if she said anything, so she didn't bother.

* * *

Anko's head hurt. She sat up, silk sheets falling from her body, which also hurt. Sun streamed in through the window, revealing marks on her skin that would be slow to fade. She wanted to swear, but didn't want to make that much noise. Her head was killing her. The man who lay next to her stirred, and opened eyes that reminded her of honey. He reached over and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to him, his skin cool to the touch. She shivered. It was far too late to be embarrassed at her nakedness. Orochimaru's hands ran over her skin, touching every bit of her that he could. Those cold fingers traced nonsensical patterns over her stomach, then up to her chest until finally ghosting along the curve of her breast. "I thought you said one night, Orochimaru. Are you going back on your word?" 

His voice was muffled by her hair as he spoke. "I would never. But if you would like to stay, I have no objections. In fact, I insist." Anko cursed internally as he slid on top of her, swiftly catching her wrists and pinning them above her head. She began to struggle, but he held her firmly in place. "Oh, now why are you struggling? You didn't mind me touching you last night. If I remember things correctly," he leaned close to her ear, allowing himself a taste of the skin near her jaw, "you begged me to touch you."

"That was last night. Right now, I want to get out of here. You promised, Orochimaru." She struggled again, but it did no good. She cursed the fact that she'd taken off her gloves, and the fact that he still held her down.

"I'm only human. I lied." He let go of her, but only briefly. Her freedom lasted only long enough for him to turn her over onto her stomach. She could feel his hands clamp down on her arms again, pulling them to her sides. Then his tongue was traveling over her back. Her stomach lurched.

"Get off!"

He laughed lowly, and twisted the meaning of her words. "I plan to." Her stomach lurched again, and she tasted bile in her mouth. She felt him take both of her wrists in one hand, then heard something metal clinking. Anko glanced over her shoulder, and saw that he was holding a pair of handcuffs. He tightened them around her wrists, leaving his hands free. "Do you know why you're my favorite, Anko?"

"No." She didn't want to know, either. She just wanted to find a way to get the hell away from him.

He leaned down to her ear again, and said, "Because I knew you would be the hardest to break." Orochimaru's voice was full of a sick glee that only he could manage. She wished that she had let Kakashi teach her all of the self-defense stuff that he had wanted to. "I'll enjoy breaking you, Anko. It will be beautiful. You'll be my _masterpiece._" Anko felt his hands on her, touching her in ways that were not at all pleasant. And though it was meant to demean her and break her, it only made her angry. When Anko was angry, one of two things happened. The first was that she would either break down and cry, or her thoughts would somehow become so clear that she could think her way through her problem.

It just so happened that the second was the case. _Get him to remove the cuffs. Make him think he's broken you. Then he'll think you're willing. Then, beat the ever-living fuck out of him._ If she had been in the mood, she would have smiled. Concentrating all of her energy into this, she allowed tears to leak from her eyes, and small sobs to come from her throat. Her body shook, and she said, "Please, stop. No more. Please…" Her voice was faint, and defeated.

"Oh, now that's more like it. _Louder_." He pulled her up into his lap, and pressed her back against his chest. Orochimaru's hands parted her legs, caressing the skin of her inner thighs, causing her to shake more.

"Please…I'll do anything…anything…" Her voice clearer now, she heard him groan, and could feel him hardening against her.

"Anything? Now that's interesting. You'll do anything for me?"

"Yes! Anything. Please…take them off. They hurt. I'll do anything." His hand traveled up her thigh to come to rest between her legs. Orochimaru's tongue flicked against the side of her neck, and the movement of his hand followed, causing her to let out a surprised moan. "Please…"

"You want me, don't you?" His voice was a mere growl in her ear.

"Yes," she breathed, only half-lying now.

"You want me inside you?" Orochimaru slid a finger inside her in imitation of what he obviously wanted to do to her.

"Yes…oh, God, please!" Well, screaming may have been a little over the top, but he released her, and removed the handcuffs. Then, he turned her around.

"Now, lie down." She obeyed, trying to calm her body down enough so that it wouldn't betray her when she did what she needed to in order to get away from him. He knelt between her knees, and smiled. "Like a work of art…" He mused to himself, and moved his hands over her stomach, up toward her breasts.

"Orochimaru…" She made her voice breathless as his hands found her breasts, rough touches causing her body to react in ways she didn't want it to, though she still had herself mostly under control.

"Yes?" This word was pure, unadulterated lust given voice.

"I have a surprise for you."

"What would that be?" That same tone. It sickened her.

For some reason, her vision tried to blur. The instant she realized that he had really made her cry, she gave a strangled sob of anger and frustration and used the only self-defense technique Kakashi had really been able to teach her before his accident. She drove the heel of her hand up into his nose, hearing a satisfying crack. He swayed and fell to one side, beginning to bleed. Far from breathing a sigh of relief, Anko raised an eyebrow at him when he glared at her. "Surprise, sensei." She dipped a finger into the blood that now soaked the sheets, rubbing the crimson liquid between her fingers. Almost to herself, she said, "Blood has such an interesting taste. It reminds me of when I was a little girl, and I put a penny in my mouth…"

She stood, and loomed over him. "You know, I _did_ want you back then. I just respected you too much." Stooping to pick up her clothes, she felt his hand on her arm. Her anger flared again. As she turned, she shook Kakashi's knife free of her glove, and when she stopped turning, it was at Orochimaru's throat. "Give me a reason." His eyes narrowed.

"You don't have the balls."

"Now that you mention it," She smiled and brought her knee up into his groin, causing him to fall to the floor, groaning in pain, "neither do you." Anko picked up the handcuffs from the bed, and dragged him to the headboard. The back of the headboard was designed beautifully. It had a long, wide plank that formed the cross-piece, and was just wide enough for her purposes. Slapping one of the cuffs around one of his wrists, she threaded that arm between the mattress and the bottom of the plank. Then Orochimaru started to struggle again, so she elbowed him in the nose and he made a pained squawk. After pulling the other arm over the top, she secured that wrist and stepped back to admire her work. He was bleeding, naked, and actually, had he been anyone else, she might be tempted to feel sorry for him.

"But you know," she mused, "I wouldn't have used the knife. You're not good enough to die that way." Slowly and painfully, she dressed herself. After pulling on her gloves and shoes, she picked up the knife and sheathed it where it had been before. "Sayonara, Orochimaru-sensei. See you in hell." She ran her fingers through her hair and adjusted it to cover some of the larger love bites on her neck. Just when she was going to step out of the door, Orochimaru spoke.

"Why didn't you break?"

"Because, unlike you, I don't need to feel like I'm in charge. I know what real love is, and I don't need a good fuck as a substitute." Picking her bag up from the small table near the door, she left, and did not look back. If she had, she would have laughed, and she was trying to keep some of her dignity in tact.

* * *

**A/N:** I absoutely, without question, love Hatake Kakashi. He is wonderful, and I think that it's between him and Jiraiya as to who my favorite older male character is. And I'll say this: Anko is one fiesty chick. I was amazed. 


	8. Observation

**A/N:** Well, after what seems like forever, here's chapter 8! There is much fun in this chapter, including the appearance of Jiraiya, false monk! Those of you who are rooting for pairings, I think I told you before, you'll just have to wait and see. But it won't be long before we get some really nice fluffy stuff (my favorite is fluff, not smut, though that can be good, too every now and again). Okay! Now for your Japanese geography lesson. I mention another part of Japan here, which is Okinawa. Okinawa is in the Nansei (Southwest) Islands, and has only one real city, Naha. At the moment, that's where Kisame is trying to put the fear of Akatsuki into the locals. Will he succeed? Who knows. Warnings:

**FL--** Hinata gets mad at Neji and says a bad word.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

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**Machi Yoko Naruto**

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**Chapter 8:** Observation

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The lock turned, and Kakashi sat upright in his seat. It was much later than he had expected her back. After he followed them to the hotel, he thought that she would be back to the cafe in a matter of hours. As things turned out, he had been quite mistaken. Anko walked into the door, and locked it behind herself. She had a haunted look about her as she sank into the chair closest to the door, laying her head on the table-top. Her hair fell away from her neck, exposing numerous marks. Kakashi felt anger welling up in his chest. It was a hot, liquid feeling that seared him. He stood and walked over to her, kneeling. His voice came out much gentler than he felt. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Suffice it to say that I won't have to deal with him ever again." Her words held a tone of finality that made him worry.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" He asked, and heaved a relieved sigh when she shook her head. "Good. One of us having to kill people is enough. Now, let's get you out of that dress and into something comfortable. Okay?" She nodded, but made no move to stand. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her up the stairs. When they reached the second floor, Kakashi put her on the couch, then ran up to her bedroom to get her something more comfortable to wear. To his surprise, she still had the pair of flannel pajamas he had given her for her birthday the last year they were married. They were worn and faded from much use.

Smiling slightly to himself, Kakashi pulled the faded red pajamas from the drawer, and bounded back down the stairs, to findAnko slumped where she sat. He slid behind her, one leg on either side of her thighs, and loosened the laces of her corset. Then he reached around front of it and unhooked the metal clasps that kept it shut. Once he had done this, he pulled the top off of her, and threw it aside.He took his knife back and pulled off her gloves. She flinched away from his hands as he ran his fingers over the marks Orochimaru had left. He helped her into the pajama shirt, and reached around her to button it up. Then, he reached down and to her left hip, unzipping her skirt, then helping her to stand so that he could pull it down and put it in the same place that he'd thrown the top of her dress. Once she had the pants on, he made her sit on the couch and went into the kitchen to make a cup of hot chocolate for her.

No matter how bad she had felt in the past, it had always made her feel at least marginally better to have a cup of hot chocolate. "Anko," he said hesitantly as he handed her the cup, "I'm sorry." She paused in the act of drinking, the cup almost to her lips. "Had I not asked you to help me, this wouldn't have happened." He slid behind her again, and wrapped his arms around her until she leaned back against his chest. "Do you hate me?"

"No. I don't. I hate Orochimaru for what he did to me. It would have happened eventually, I think. But you…you gave me the strength to get through it. I thinkhe would have broken meother wise." He closed his eyes and leaned his head on her shoulder, breathing in the smell of her. They remained this way for a long time, until she finally finished her cup. As always, the chocolate had worked its magic, and she had relaxed at least in part. "I broke his nose."

His eyebrows rose and his head snapped up. "You what?"

She turned a little in his arms, to look back at him. "I broke his nose, kicked him in the balls, and handcuffed him, bleeding and naked, to the hotel bed." Kakashi blinked. He gave her an appraising look, then kissed her cheek.

"That's my girl." They both smiled, then began to laugh. After a long moment, she collapsed against him, holding her sides. But then, she went quiet. She looked up at him worriedly.

"Am I?" The tone of her voice caused a lump to form in his throat, and the look on her face had his eyes stinging with unshed tears.

"Only if you want to be." He said quietly, and leaned down to kiss her forehead. When he pulled away from this gesture, she was smiling again, more brightly than he had seen her smile in a very long time.

"I do."

Holding her close, he gave her a little squeeze, then kissed her lips lightly. "Now, I could get used to hearing that."

* * *

It was cold. Hinata was bundled into a large coat, a scarf, gloves, and boots. She had wanted to get out of the house, and the gardens were the quietest place on the grounds. The snow covered everything with a white crystalline sheet, and the airturned her breath into steam. This was her favorite time of year, but since Itachi had said she would not be allowed to go out, she had been anxious to have him leave so that she could disobey his orders. As she walked over the small bridge that spanned the koi pond, she saw movement. About thirty feet away, she saw Neji. He was wearing his formal kimono, but no coat. When he saw that she had seen him, he approached to the allowed distance. 

"Good evening." He bowed, and she nodded her acknowledgement. He looked away from her. Neji seemed nervous for some reason. "Hinata-sama, I wanted to give you something. It's your birthday present." He pulled a small box from his pocket and placed it at the foot of the bridge.

She closed her eyes. Why did it have to be this way? Why did she have to be treated like a leper? No man, not even her father and Neji, were allowed near her, by Itachi's order. It was as if she had some kind of disease! It didn't take a genius to figure out why Itachi had enacted that stupid rule. The reason was plain. She was his, and he didn't want anyone else touching her. Hinata was surrounded by nothing but women, and one man who treated her as property. She felt as if all of the rights and freedoms that women in Japan had gained in the past hundred years had suddenly been taken from her the moment she had married him. Now, she watched the wary look that her cousin and childhood playmate had when his eyes settled on her, and it was almost more than she could take. She and Neji had always been there for one another, but now, his comforting embrace was miles away, and she was avoided for fear that one touch would cause death.Neji backed away from the little white box in the snow,and the sight was enough to cause a pain in her chest. Forcing herself not to stammer, she said, "Wait. Stop." Uncertainly, she took steps forward until she came to stand in front of the box. "Now, you give it to me."

"But…the rule…"

For once, she let her anger show. "Neji, don't make me tell you again." She saw surprise in his eyes. "I've had enough of these idiotic rules. Being treated like I have some kind of disease, handled like I'll break if anyone touches me! Honestly!" Her eyes blazed that almost-white blue at him. "Just give it to me yourself, Neji. I won't tell." She watched as he picked the box up reverently, and placed it in her outstretched hand. When she took it from him, her fingers brushed against his. That tiny contact gave her heart a thrill. She supposed it was because she was breaking the rules, or perhaps she really missed him more than she thought? When she opened the little box, she found a small locket on a chain, in the shape of a star. She opened it, and found a picture, much reduced in size, that was very familiar to her. It was one of the two of them.

She and Neji had been walking in the garden. She had been sixteen, and he was seventeen; it had been a very good day. The photograph showed them walking away from the camera, Neji reaching for her hand. For some reason that she did not understand, Hinata found tears in her eyes. "Oh," she said, her voice choked with emotion, "Rules be damned!" And she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely. "It's beautiful, Neji. Arigato." As she began pulling away from him, she caught sight of a strange look in his eyes. She thought at first that she was mistaken, but when his arms found their way around her waist and pulled her back to him, she started. "Neji?"

"Gomen, Hinata-sama," he said in her ear as he held her. "Please forgive me. I only wanted to hold you. I miss this." That made something inside her hurt. She looked into his eyes, and from this close proximity, she found the look inthose eyes to be completely…intoxicating. She was being drawn nearer, his eyes pulling her. Then, he seemed frightened. "Hinata-sama? What are you—mmmrph!" Hinata's lips had found his and shut him up directly.

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_Oh, for the love of all that is holy, please don't let this moment ever end_…Neji thought as Hinata kissed him. Her lips were soft and warm, and her hands now clutched at his kimono. When she finally pulled away from him, she smiled nervously and bit her lip. "Gomen, Neji." 

He shook his head. "Don't apologize. I didn't resist, did I?" He looked around. "But I don't know that it's such a good idea to do that in an open area." She blinked at him, then looked around. Thearea was surrounded by a high wall, but the house was within sight of the garden, so someone may see. He felt her small hand grip his kimono sleeve, and pull him. Her destination was the part of the fence nearest the house. If they stood against it, no one in or near the house would be able to see them.When they reached the fence, she tried to kiss him again. "Hinata-sama, wait."

"What?" She asked, her face only inches from his.

"Why?" He asked, almost desperately.

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to kiss me?" Neji's heart was pounding. In a very short span of time, she could give him hope, or make him want to commit _sepukku_.

"Because I don't love my husband." Neji nodded slowly. He already knew that.

"I know you don't love him. I'm not asking about him, Hinata. I'm asking about me." His vision was throbbing with the pounding of his heart.

Hinata's hands touched his face, and her nose brushed against his. "I'll tell you in a moment," she said against his lips, and then Neji found himself pressed against the fence, Hinata's arms around his neck, her body pressed against his. Stunned, his eyes did not close as she kissed him lightly, slowly, hesitantly. He found himself responding to her, coaxing her mouth open so that he could deepen and intensify the kiss. She pulled him closer, as close as she could get him. His mind was overwhelmed with the feeling of her, the smell of her, and the taste of her. When she finally pulled away from him, she asked quietly, "Does that answer your question?"

"Hai, Hinata." Neji rested his forehead on hers. "I've always loved you…"

She started. "Neji?" He looked down at her, and saw her anger flaring again. "If you love me, if you always loved me, then why did you not say anything when father made me marry _him_?" He looked away from her in shame. That was a very good question, wasn't it?

"I was in shock, I suppose. I had always thought we would be together, that it wouldn't change, no matter what happened. Even when Itachi came to Hokkaido, I thought that he would leave us be. When he approached your father, I was going to go to him to stop Itachi. Then, I was warned. I woke up one night with a knife at my throat. I…I wanted to say something. I wanted to stop it. I was a coward, Hinata." There was a sharp pain in his stomach, and he began to cough. Hinata had sucker-punched him in the stomach.

"You're damned right you were a coward, Neji. When are you going to stand up to him? He's your cousin, Neji, not a god." He blinked up at her from his bent position. Her eyes were like ice-colored flames. Then she had shoved him against the fence again, and he was unable to breathe from the ferocity with which she kissed him. For a long moment, he forgot about the pain in his stomach, about the way his feet were going numb in the first snow of the year, and how he seemed to be getting colder by the second. When she finally pulled away from him, she said, "I love you, Hyuuga Neji, but I will _not_ let you be a coward any more. I take command after my child is born. When that happens, I plan to have one less burden."

Neji's eyes widened. "Hinata-sama, you can't kill Itachi."

"Why not? He's a worthless piece of garbage."

"There are events which will make it…unnecessary for you to do so. I can't tell you any more. If I did, it would put you in danger." She nodded. "I have to go now, Hinata-sama. Please wait a few minutes before you leave the garden." He turned to leave her, but stopped. "When does he return?"

"Next week."

Neji nodded, a secretive smile on his lips. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he only said, "I will see you very soon, Hinata-sama. For now, keep warm," he put a hand over her abdomen, "and take care of your child." He leaned down and grazed her lips with his before turning to truly leave the garden. Fifteen minutes later, he was in his room. He flopped down on his bed, long hair the color of coffee splayed out all around his head. It did not take long for him to fall into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Sakura sat in the corner, listening. It was what she did best, listening. The man visiting with Kakashi had a smooth voice and a sly manner. He would, every now and again, glance over at her. It was difficult for her to keep her eyes on the floor in front of her with him looking at her like that. Sabaku no Kankarou was a very sly man. She knew of him, of course. Kakashi said that he was coming, and had given her his file the day before, so that she could look it over. So far, she had spotted no inconsistencies with what Kakashi's research indicated. 

He said that he was here to visit Kakashi. He said that he was there to discuss with him the possibility of combining his spy network with Kakashi's. That, obviously, was a lie. Sakura was not used to men looking at her the way Kankarou was. She had seen men leering, but this was different. His eyes rested on her in a way that was uncomfortable, but she didn't think he was leering. It was like he was trying to read her. That would be impossible. She hid her thoughts and emotions far too well for anyone to be able to know what was going on in her head. But when her bright green eyes rose, she would find them meeting his nearly black ones, and then find herself looking away.

"Kankarou-san?" Kakashi's voice said sharply, causing both Sakura and their guest to jump slightly. "If you came to talk to me, it is more polite for you to do so, rather than stare at my subordinates."

Kankarou smiled, almost wolfishly. "_Hai, hai_. My apologies. And my deepest apologies to your subordinate. It seems I've made her uncomfortable." Sakura kept her face studiously blank. He was trying to make her squirm. _A test, eh? Damned bastard. We'll see who's making who uncomfortable._ She looked over at him defiantly, and his smile slid from his face. "As I was saying, I met your other subordinate. She was…interesting. I thought I might speak with you, and any other subordinates you may have. If things progress as they seem they will, I think we may be of some service to each other."

Sakura watched Kakashi tensing. She could tell he didn't believe a word of it. "So you want my permission to talk to Sakura, is that it?" Sakura wasn't really surprised that Kakashi picked up on what Kankarou was after. She had just hoped he wouldn't. The man made her a little uneasy. It wasn't as if she weren't used to being in situations that made her uneasy. But those were jobs. They were times when she was pretending to be someone else, and when she had nothing that anyone else wanted. This was completely different. Kankarou wanted to talk to _her._

"I suppose you could say that."

Kakashi turned around and fixed her with his dark eye. "Sakura? I'm leaving the decision up to you." She could feel Kankarou watching her, though she refused to look at him. He would _not_ intimidate her. She would not let him. So, she nodded to Kakashi. "There. You have your answer. Now, Sakura, please escort this gentleman to one of the tearooms near the garden. There, I'm sure you'll both be comfortable. And our guest will refrain from making you uncomfortable again, yes?" He raised one eyebrow in an unspoken threat.

Sakura gave a small cough. "Don't worry about me, Kakashi-sensei. I'll be fine." She rose from her seat carefully, so that she did not disarrange her kimono, and turned to Kankarou. "Please follow me, Kankarou-sama." Her voice was calm and level, though she felt nothing of the sort. His presence behind her as they left the room was…heavy. It was almost oppressive. For a rather large man, he made surprisingly little noise as he walked. All she heard behind her was the soft whisper of tabi on the floor, and a slight rustle from the formal kimono he wore. When she ushered him into the formal tearoom, she waited for him to seat himself, then rang for a servant. The girl appeared within a few moments, and Sakura requested tea. When the girl left, she looked at Kankarou.

"What do you want?" She asked, dropping all pretense.

Kankarou smiled that same almost-wolfish grin, and said, "Oh, so we're done with the formalities already? What a shame." Shrugging, he looked her over, quite openly, which made her feel a little like an insect in a jar. "I have heard much about Kakashi's protégé. Can I assume that you are she?" Sakura nodded. "Well. I just wanted to see what you were like, after meeting your sister." Sakura started. No one was supposed to know that she and Ino were even related. That information had been kept a secret since Sakura was six years old.

"Cut the crap, Kankarou-sama. If you came here to talk to me, stop beating around the bush and say what you have to say."

The man ran fingers through his hair, sighing. "Are you always this nasty?"

"No. Usually, I'm very sweet. But that's with people who are honest with me. What do you want?" Her temper was starting to rise, which was not at all like her. Kakashi had taught her to keep it strictly in check. So what was it about this man that made her go against years of training?

Kankarou took a deep breath. "My spies have been having reports from around Hokkaido about the movements of Akatsuki. I know that Honshu is about to move on them, so it would be prudent for people who may be our allies to know what is going on." Sakura smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. She was still confused as to why he came to her, and not Kakashi.

"And?"

"Sakura, I was going to ask you if you could do me a favor." Alarms started going off in her head, and she flipped a bright-pink fall of hair from her eyes. "While your sister was on Hokkaido, she came into contact with Sasori, who attacked her in her hotel room. She knows what he looks like, but she can't come back to Hokkaido while Akatsuki is still around. We still don't know who the leader of Akatsuki is. These are distinct problems with our plans, and with yours. So, what I need from you is your cooperation. I would ask that you go to Hokkaido, and find out these things. How, I don't know. You would be on your own in that respect."

"There is one problem, Kankarou-sama. My cousin is in Akatsuki. Itachi would certainly recognize me."

He leaned on the table and nodded to the servant who had just brought him his tea. "I've thought of that. Itachi generally keeps to himself if he's not visiting with Kisame, who is not even on Hokkaido at the moment. He's in Okinawa. So you wouldn't have that big of a problem. You just need an introduction." His eyes were on her again in that uncomfortable way. "I can do that."

"And what would my cover be?" Sakura was afraid to know. She had a feeling that this was _not_ going to be fun.

"Hm. Let's see." He looked her over, from head to toe. "You're pretty, so no drudge work. Graceful, delicate…ah. Do you think you could pull off being a geisha?" Her eyes nearly left her skull. A geisha? Her? All the smiling, giggling, flattering, and not to mention the men most likely wanting to touch her. It made her want to cringe.

"Ah…I don't think so. Sorry. Ino's better with that sort of thing." Sakura set her cup down, probably harder than she should have. His smile was rather amused, which was making her angry. The breathing exercises she had learned were not doing any good. She felt that she was dangerously close to blowing up at him. "What's so funny? So I'm not a girly girl? So what? Let someone else bow and scrape and fawn over men. That's not my thing." She crossed her arms in her sleeves, trying to be huffy and look somewhat dignified at the same time.

"Oh, I think you'd do just fine." He was still amused! What did she have to say to shut him up? She'd already told him no. Her eyebrow twitched upward. "We would have to do something about that hair, though. Do you have any objection to black?"

Sakura's hands gripped the edge of the table. In a very calm and controlled voice, which nonetheless sounded forced, she said, "Wait just a minute. I never said I was going to do this. What makes you think I will?" Her eyebrows drew down in a frown as she thought. He was annoying her beyond her wits. How could one man make her feel like a legion of idiots had been grating on her nerves for a week? Kankarou was sniggering at her, and she snapped out of her reverie. "Will you _please_ stop laughing? I haven't said _anything_ funny." He continued to laugh. That was it. Sakura snapped, and with a single lightening-fast movement, she pulled what looked like an ornamented chopstick from her hair, but was really a throwing needle, holding it to his neck. "Stop—laughing—this—moment."

His mirth ended suddenly, and he looked at her with all of the seriousness that she had seen Kakashi use. "You'll have to learn to control that temper."

"Usually, I'm fine. You bring out the worst in me." She set the needle on the table, and started twisting her hair back into its bun. He was watching her closely. "What?"

He leaned closer to her, and said, "You really are very pretty. I think you would make a fine geisha." Her lips compressed into a thin line. "Sakura, please. This is not just for me. This is for you and your family. Surely you don't want Sasuke to end up like my father?" That made her cringe. She had heard stories, and seen photographs of the aftermath. Kankarou's eyes closed for a long moment as he seemed to shake off a painful memory. "Please?" When he opened his eyes, she could see pain in them, and she knew that it was not false. For a long moment, they only looked at one another.

"If I say yes?" She was going to regret this. She was _quite_ sure of that.

He frowned. "Then we have a lot to do. There's clothes, hair, and I'll have to take you somewhere for a day or so to have you learn a few things, but after that, we go to Hokkaido, to Hakodate. My family is in Sapporo, as is your cousin. We have to get you into contact with one of the other Akatsuki members. He's a very strange man. His name is Zetsu." Sakura's eyes widened at the name.

"The nut-ball? Hell, why him?" She sagged where she sat. Zetsu had a split personality, one very calm and genteel, and the other was the polar opposite. Perhaps the most brutal of the ring-leaders, Zetsu's other half was known for his _very_ creative torture techniques. Kakashi's file on him suggested that the thing that brought out his darker personality was when he felt he was being lied to or tricked in some way. He would not only be tricky to get close to, but he might end up killing her. She knew that he was probably the best way to find out the leader's identity, but the thought of being within a mile of the man put her teeth on edge.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you could handle it." Kankarou had gone serious again, and she studied him. He was the most annoying individual on the planet, but he was not a liar. Damn. So, she nodded. "Good. We leave as soon as you inform Kakashi." Her eyes widened. "Secrecy is of the utmost importance. By the way, what _is_ your natural hair color?"

"Black."

"Oh, good. At least this way, you won't have to do your roots…" She groaned. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Sakura's hand was up her sleeve before the door opened, revealing Kakashi. Relaxing, she waited for him to say something.

"I take it you're leaving us?" He asked, and she nodded. "Well, be careful, and remember what I've taught you."

She jumped to her feet and ran over to him, squeezing him around the waist. He had been like a father to her. "I know, Kakashi-sensei. Secrecy, observation, the appearance of truth. I'll miss you." He patted her head, careful not to upset her hair, and said that he would miss her as well. "I may not come back."

He eyed her, his good eye stern. "Did I teach you to have that kind of attitude?"

"No. You taught me to be realistic." She said with a smirk. "Kakashi-sensei, I'll miss you, and Ino, too. Tell her goodbye for me." Sakura stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Whispering in his ear, she said, "Keep them safe for me." He nodded, and gave her a small hug. Then, she followed Kankarou to the car that would take them to the Atsuta-jingu Shrine, where one of Kankarou's associates was waiting for them.

* * *

Naruto shifted his feet. They waited on the platform in Kanayama Station, watching for a familiar face. It did not take long before Naruto's eyes caught sight of a shock of white hair, on the head of a man that towered over the other pedestrians. Swallowing audibly, he glanced at Sasuke nervously. 

"What's your problem, idiot?"

Naruto scowled at him. "Jiraiya has certain…opinions. He won't like that we're together." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him in a look that said he would handle the man. As thelarge man lumbered over, Sasuke sidled closer to Naruto, laying a hand gently on his arm. This at first only served to alarm the blonde man, but then he relaxed. Leaning closer to the dark-haired young _oyabun_, Naruto whispered, "Thank you."

"No problem. I was going to kiss you, but that would be a little too shocking for the geezer to take." Sasuke's eyes rested on Naruto, who could feel them. He could almost feel the amusement in Sasuke's gaze. When it usually made him feel like squirming, he found Sasuke's stare to be comforting at the moment, and he allowed himself to stand close to him, feeling the warmth coming from him in the cold of the station. And then, Jiraiya was standing in front of them, and Naruto bowed low.

"Jiraiya-sensei, welcome." He said, his eyes rising to the man's face. The false holy-man's eyes darted between him and Sasuke, noting their proximity to one another, and then narrowing visibly. Naruto could hear it coming, and almost flinched. Almost. "Please, come with us." He, Sasuke and Ino walked back to the car, and Naruto heard a feminine yelp, then a loud smacking noise. He turned around, and saw Ino glaring daggers at a grinning Jiraiya, who was rubbing a red mark on his left cheek. Naruto's eyebrow twitched upward in annoyance, and he stopped walking. "You should keep your hands to yourself, old man. She'll cut things off that you want to keep."

Ino smiled gratefully at him, and he gave her a playful wink. Jiraiya frowned. They continued walking. When they were in the limousine, Ino sat next to Kakashi, whom she firmly placed between herself and Jiraiya. On the opposite side, facing that awkward trio, were Naruto and Sasuke, who sat casually, Sasuke's usual dark suit contrasting greatly with Naruto's red _haori_ and light gray _hakama_. Naruto could feel Jiraiya staring hard at him, and he was only waiting for the man's inevitable comment. "So," The white-haired man asked, "When did you decide to play for the wrong team, kid?" Oh, that did it. Naruto's face began to burn. He felt Sasuke tense next to him, and before Naruto could stammer out an answer, Sasuke was giving reply for him.

"Jiraiya-sama, please. That is a conversation for a _later_ time." Sasuke's tone was one of finality, but Naruto knew Jiraiya better than that. The middle-aged man crossed his arms over his chest, smirking. For a long moment, he only watched them, eyes flicking between their faces. Then, he decided to say the worst thing he possibly could. As usual.

"Little boy, don't speak unless you're spoken to." Jiraiya said this mockingly, and Sasuke's eyes turned icy.

"Jiraiya-sensei, please. I didn't ask you here to discuss my personal choices. This is something that will benefit all of us. Now, shut up, or I'll sick Ino on you." Jiraiya looked over at Ino, who trailed fingers over the plunging neckline of her dress, and unsheathed a narrow knife from between her breasts. It glinted in the sunlight threateningly.

"Hai, Naruto." They rode in silence the rest of the way, and when they reached the Uchiha estate, Naruto escorted Jiraiya to the conference room.

They sat across the table from one another, waiting for everyone else to arrive. "Sensei…" Naruto didn't know what to say. He surely wasn't going to apologize for falling for Sasuke. Jiraiya's eyes, like dark coals, stared at him, waiting.

"So you're gay?" Naruto started. He did _not_ just hear that. "Well, answer me, kid. After everything I taught you, you still picked a man?" Now the blonde was getting angry. What right did he have?

Rising slowly from his seat, he placed his hands on the table and leaned toward the false holy man. "I don't think you're in a position to be passing judgment on anyone. And for your information, I am not _gay_. I do like women. But right now, the only person I can imagine myself with is Sasuke. Do you have a _problem_ with that?" His voice had been steadily rising as he spoke, and his final question was almost a shout. Jiraiya flinched.

"Look, kid. I just don't want my favorite student's clan to die because he likes taking it…or giving it?" His tone became curious. "Which are you, top or bottom?" Naruto _really _did _not_ just hear that. Jiraiya did not just ask him that. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, stood straight, and gave himself a little shake.

"Again, not your business. I don't ask you about all the hookers you bring to the temple, do I? So just…shut up about it. Just because I'm doing something you don't approve of, it doesn't give you the right to prod me with ridiculous questions." He sad back down with a huff. Most things about Jiraiya were ridiculous. From the questions he asked, to the fact that he posed as a holy man, ran a temple, but was formerly one of the world's best assassins, and most recently, a passionate and prolific writer of hard-core pornography.

Sasuke, Ino, and Kakashi entered the room, and stopped the conversation before it could get out of hand. Ino seated herself next to Jiraiya, which the man obviously didn't know how to feel about. Her dress was now even skimpier than the one she had worn to the train station, but Naruto would bet any amount of money that she had no fewer than sixteen knives concealed over her body. That was why she wore those damned boots all of the time. They were specially designed to have holsters for those knives she liked so much, as well as special compartments in the heels for smuggling things in. The difference between Ino's knives and Kakashi's was that hers were made entirely from a plastic composite material that sharpened like glass, whereas Kakashi preferred the weight that metal had.

Ino's excuse was that she had often had to get through security checkpoints, and her knives were not picked up on metal detectors. Kakashi, on the other hand, was mostly active only on the island of Honshu, and could go just about anywhere without having to deal with any security. In any case, Naruto never wanted to be in a position to test her abilities with those knives. He had seen Sakura practicing with hers, and she was frightening with them. Throwing, as well as hand-to-hand techniques…both skills had been honed to a fine art with Sakura. Ino would be more unpredictable, though perhaps slightly less skilled. She was the type to think of something more…creative.

When Jiraiya's chair inched toward hers, she eyed him nastily and casually drew a knife from her hair. "Watch it, ojisan. If you want to keep your hands, stay right where you are." He stilled his movement, and Ino smiled. "Good boy," she said, and patted his shoulder.

"So, Naruto," Jiraiya said nervously, "you promised to tell me what this was all about. Well, here I am in Nagoya, and still no explanation. Spill, kid." Naruto nodded.

"Well…"

* * *

**A/N:** Well. There you go. Oh, and here's the new word for this chapter: _sepukku_--ritual suicide. I used it before, I think, but this is just a refresher.  



	9. Mist

**A/N:** Hi! It's been a while, hasn't it? I got this chapter ready for you! I hope you like it. In this, we get set up for some things, which will come quite nicely later on. I have no warnings for you, except one.

**Warning:**

**FL--**foul language

**Legal Stuffiness: **I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

**

* * *

Machi Yoko Naruto

* * *

Chapter 9:** Mist  
**

* * *

** "Tell me you're joking!" Sakura said, eyeing the purple kimono on the stand, then Kankarou in turn. He was wearing a dark suit that fit him well, and had just informed her that they were going to do a field test of her abilities. On the island of Hokkaido, in Hakodate, she had been basically taking a crash-course in being a geisha. For the last few days, she'd been poked, prodded, had information shoved into her mind at a very fast pace, and then had to do practical exams on each skill, including playing musical instruments, which she was already good at. The final bit of idiocy, Kankarou said, would be their field test this evening. "I have to _wear_ that? It's…it's _purple_!"

The silk of the kimono was not just purple, but royal purple, almost blue. It would look strange against her hair, which she now knew fifteen different ways to style. Not to mention how badly it would clash with her dark green eyes…

"Sakura, once I place you in a house, you'll have to wear what _they_ tell you to. So please, just do this for me?" His voice sounded weary. Admittedly, she had given him much grief over the past week, so she nodded, indulging him. "Now, please get moving. We'll be leaving as soon as you're ready." She started to ask him wear they were going, but he was already gone.

Grumbling quietly to herself, Sakura put on the under-_kimono_, _kimono, _and adjusted the length of it, making sure there were no wrinkles, then put on the _obi board_ (1) and _obi_. After fifteen minutes of trying, she finally had the _obi_ tied into a drum, and she put on the _obiage_ (2) and _obijime _(3), tying it tightly to keep everything secure. All in all, she did present a very distinct image of classic beauty, but purple was her least favorite color. She had always preferred pinks and light greens. But as Kankarou said, this was practice for the real thing, so she was going to have to get used to it. After she had done with her clothes, she arranged her hair into a complex style that called for the use of twelve ornamented pins and a set of lacquered chopsticks. Finally, she put on her makeup. She did not wear the traditional white paint-like makeup that one usually associates with the geisha. When she was finished, she looked much more natural than all of that.

When she emerged from her 'primping' as she liked to refer to it, Kankarou was grinning ear to ear. "See? I told you that you'd be perfect!" He practically gloated all the way to the car. She remained as quiet as possible, until they got into the car, when she voiced her concerns about falling flat on her face, but he laughed at her. Then, she asked where they were going. "Ah. I have an old friend who is here on holiday. We'll be having dinner with him and his cousin. He'll be the man you're to stay with. If he likes you." Kankarou gave her a knowing smile, "And I'm sure he will."

"Okay. What's his name?"

Kankarou smiled, "Rock Lee." Sakura could vaguely remember hearing that name somewhere before, but couldn't recall where. It was probably something she read. In all of her research, she did not remember coming across his name in relation to the Yakuza. "He's an interesting guy. You'll like him." She sensed that there was something that he wasn't telling her, but she could handle it, whatever it was.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up at the Setting Star, a beautiful restaurant that seemed to be designed to resemble the traditional-style mansions of Japan. Kankarou helped her out of the car, and she took his arm, grateful for the support, since she felt like she was going to shake herself to pieces. Kankarou gave their names to the young woman at the door, and she ushered them to the back of the place, where there were private rooms. The woman stopped before a sliding door that was painted a medium green, and when she opened it, Sakura saw that it was not a room at all, but a kind of veranda that overlooked the gardens. At the very center of the wooden floor, there was a low table on a dark green rug, and at the table sat a man and a woman.

The man had black hair that was cut nearly into a bowl shape, and mesmerizingly thick eyebrows. The woman, Sakura saw, had brown hair, fixed into two buns, a Chinese style. The man rose from his seat, his green kimono falling perfectly into place as he did so, and moved to greet them. "Kankarou-san! It's been so very long since I have seen you!" he embraced the black-clad man, and then turned to Sakura. "And who is this…" He stopped speaking, and then seemed to stop breathing when he looked at her face. When he was finally able to speak again, he continued his previous sentence, "…vision of beauty that you have with you?"

It took everything Sakura had to keep the tiny blush on her face from turning into a burning flush of embarrassment. Excessive in his compliments, the man almost forgot to introduce himself. Then, he seemed to remember. Bowing formally, he said, "_Hajimemashite_. My name is Rock Lee. May I please know your name?"

She smiled softly, and said in a low voice, "Sakura is my name, sir."

"Ah, Sakura-san! Please, come, both of you, and meet my cousin, Tenten. She is shy, so please forgive her if she does not speak much." He led them to the table, and Tenten greeted them, looking Sakura over shrewdly. Sakura saw her eyes flicker over to Kankarou and noticed an almost imperceptible nod of her head. She was most likely one of his informants. Apparently, Sakura had just passed inspection. Now, she just had to perform as she was expected to, and fool this man enough so that he took her home with him.

Over the next three hours, Sakura talked with Rock Lee, flirted (much to her disgust with herself) and even laughed at his jokes. Tenten occasionally made a comment, or spoke to Kankarou, but for the most part, the two of them communicated only with glances and a few secretive signs. Lee was quite inebriated by this point, and he was, at the moment, professing his undying devotion to Sakura. In spite of the alcohol, he was very eloquent, and she found herself blushing profusely and trying not to stammer.

"Lee-san, you are too kind. I'm sure you don't _really_ mean that." He had just said that her hair was like raven-feathered angel wings, and her eyes were like emeralds, and that she was the treasure of his youthful heart. Well, it had been something like that, but more articulate.

"Oh, but I do. You are truly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Lee turned to Kankarou. "My friend, your escort is exquisite. You wouldn't be willing to let her stay with me for a while, would you?" His fervent eyes drifted back over to Sakura's face, and she looked away, blushing. Though, Sakura had to admit to herself that she was unsure if she really appreciated his compliments or if she was embarrassed for him. Honestly, how did someone wear their emotions so openly?

"I'll leave that up to Sakura. What do you think, little blossom?" She hated it when he called her that. Rather than letting her anger show, she glanced coyly over at Lee, whose eyes were fixed on her, and tried to seem as flattered as possible.

"I don't want to be a bother to you, Lee-san. If it's too much trouble—"

"Sakura-san, please! It would be my pleasure to have you stay with me. If you do, I swear to you by my youthful spirit that you will be very comfortable, and you will never lack for entertainment. Please?" He was leaning on both elbows across the table now, his chin resting on the heels of both hands. There was an expression that bordered on puppy-love plastered over his features, and she really found herself unable to resist it. Nodding, she gave her consent to him, and he nearly jumped for joy. It was a good thing that he did not, or he would have tripped on his kimono and fallen onto her. "_Arigato_, Sakura-san. And to you to, Kankarou-san. I would not think that you would part with such an angel for any amount of time."

"Oh, but if it is only for a little while, I'm sure that I will be fine. But you must promise to take especially good care of her. She's very special." There was a smile on Kankarou's face that she did not like, and it took all she had not to stick out her tongue at him. Instead, she simply smiled at Lee, who had now very hesitantly reached out and touched her hand. It was sweet, really, but he was utterly awkward, and she was wondering how she was ever going to deal with him. As she was wondering about these things, she heard the kabuki-addict saying that Lee could take her home with him tonight. This gave her a jolt of fear. Was she really ready for this?

Lee seemed overjoyed, and Sakura gracefully took his cup from him and replaced it on the table before smiling sweetly at him and saying, "Please, Lee-san, too much sake will make it difficult for me to enjoy your company." It was the nicest way she could think of to get him to stop drinking without slapping him. Tenten raised an eyebrow at her, and Sakura (for only a moment) developed a slight twitch under her eye. If there was one thing she could not stand, it was a drunk. And if she was going to be spending any time at all with him, she was not going to let Lee get drunk. The last thing she wanted was to have to beat the crap out of him. Sober, he was actually a pretty nice guy.

* * *

Hinata sniffled. Kurenai was leaning over her, holding the thermometer. "This is what comes from your long walks. It's cold out, Hinata-sama. Please, you must stay in bed today." When she tried to protest, the woman firmly pushed her back down into the blankets. "You have a fever of one hundred and two degrees. I would be going against my orders from Itachi-sama to let you get up. Now, please, stay where you are, and I'll send someone with soup in a few minutes." Reluctantly, Hinata gave in to the woman's babying.

"Okay. But I don't want anyone poking or prodding me. Just give me something for my fever that won't hurt the baby, and tell them to leave me alone." She didn't want to see anyone. Later, she would apologize for snapping at Kurenai, but at the moment, she just didn't care that she was letting her fever do the talking. She stared dazedly out of the window for some time, she couldn't be sure how long, when she heard the door open.

A soft shuffling sound told her that her soup had arrived. _Oh, joy. Probably chicken-noodle. Eew._ She turned to tell the servant to put it by the bedside, but her words died in her throat. Instead, she said in a shocked voice, "Neji! What are you doing here?"

He set her soup (tomato, her favorite) down on the table, and sat on the edge of her bed. "I talked to Kurenai. She has agreed that she won't tell Itachi that I'm here, on the condition that I don't _over-excite_ you." He smiled a little at that, and Hinata wondered what Kurenai knew. Did she know how badly Hinata wanted to be with him? How she wished that she shared her bed with Neji, and not Itachi? That thought had her blushing as she tried to sit up a little more.

"Keep still, Hinata-sama. I don't want Kurenai kicking my butt." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Now, eat your soup." She complied, and watched him watching her. She loved the feeling of his eyes on her; it was a comfortable weight. Once she had finished the soup, she set the spoon into the bowl with a soft clinking noise, and handed it back to Neji. "Now, I have something else for you." He reached onto the tray, and lifted the lid on a plate she had not before noticed. Hinata's eyes widened.

"I'm not supposed to eat that." Her eyes latched onto the confection that sat on the small plate, then to Neji's half-hidden smile, which was ripe with mischief. The dessert that sat on the plate was nothing but chocolate masquerading as a piece of cheesecake. The body of it was dark brown, and there were bittersweet chocolate shavings on the top of it, and the whole thing looked as if someone had doused it with hot fudge. Her mouth was watering. Hinata absolutely adored chocolate. Neji's smile was no longer hidden as he picked up a fork. Separating a piece from the rest of the dessert, he raised it to her lips. "I am _really_ not supposed to eat tha—" As soon as she had the 'a' in 'that' out, the chocolate delicacy was inside her mouth, and it tasted wonderful.

"One time won't hurt you. And the baby will thank you later for giving her such wonderful taste in dessert." Hinata wanted to ask him why he was so certain that the baby would turn out to be a girl, but another piece of cheesecake slid past her lips, and a smile settled itself over her features, her eyes closing. She was making small delighted sounds as the sweetness of it melted in her mouth, and soon leaned forward to meet the fork halfway. To say that it was a tasty dessert would be the understatement of the century.

"Mm." Her eyes opened, and she saw that Neji was watching her with wonder on his face. She had never been fed her dessert before, especially not in such an intimate way, so the same sentiment was present on her own face. "Neji," she said after finishing the latest bite of the dessert, "I can't eat any more." She was lying, but she knew he wouldn't make her eat any more of it, which was why she lied. He put the plate of half-eaten cheesecake back on the tray, and so then slid himself up toward the pillows. When he had positioned himself just right, he pulled her close to him, planting a kiss on her temple.

"Sleep now, Hinata-sama."

* * *

The rain was an unwelcome change. Too warm yet for anything resembling snow, Naha (4) was one very wet place. Itachi looked out of the window, and nearly sighed. For the moment, there was nothing falling from the sky. His companion loved this weather for some reason. He himself hated the mist that clung to Okinawa's center of urban living. Not that they were looking out on the city. "You know, I don't know why we're even bothering with this place." He was really only thinking out loud, but the taller man who stood next to him looking out at the mist-covered garden grunted in disapproval.

"We want it all, Itachi-san. This place may not have much to offer _now_, but later, it may be profitable. And," Kisame's voice turned rather soft and almost gentle, "I could get used to the weather here." Glancing at his companion from the corner of his eye, Itachi grimaced. How could anyone enjoy feeling clammy all day? Well, there were other things that Kisame enjoyed which Itachi found distasteful, but he wasn't about to go into those, even in his mind.

If one were to categorize the two men standing at the glass, it would be done in two ways. Uchiha Itachi, for instance, was what the world generally now calls a sociopath. He knows the difference between right and wrong. Oh, surely, he knew that it was wrong to murder his parents, and those three darling girls whom he had called sisters…of course it had been wrong. Illegal, immoral, evil, even. But, as any true sociopath, he just couldn't find it in himself to care in the least that he had killed five of his closest relatives, and attempted to kill the last one.

Hoshigaki Kisame, on the other hand, was what is properly known as a psychopath. There was most definitely something _wrong_ with his mind. He found it completely acceptable to murder people in cold blood for looking at him the wrong way. This was not because he did not care. This was simply because to him, life and death were simply both natural states of being. It was no different to be living than it was to be dead. Because of this, he found that him being the reason for a person's transition into the next world was coincidental. They were all headed there eventually, so why not…now? In Kisame's case, it would be safe to say that his knowledge of the words 'right' and 'wrong' was limited at best, and probably closer to nonexistent.

At the moment in question, Itachi was thinking of another of Kisame's habits which the decidedly sickly-looking man found to be completely normal. His…dietary preferences were rather disturbing. More than once, Kisame had the need to hire new maids, because of his compulsion to eat kidney and liver-filled dumplings. The very thought sickened him, but he wasn't going to go letting the man know, because then he would be viewed as weak. Weak people were Kisame's open buffet, and he was always hungry. Literally.

To make himself think of something more pleasant, the Uchiha turned his mind toward Hokkaido, where his wife was waiting for him. Three more months. Only three more months, and his child would be born. He did not relish the thought of being a father, but the thought of having something that physically tied him to that absolute vision of perfection that was Hinata was an idea he could get used to. And then, when the time was right, he could bring to the attention of the Uchiha clan's retired elders the fact that he had a child, an heir. This was something that his brother could not brag of. Especially since the young man's preferences tended toward something tall, blonde, and most definitely male.

The thought of Sasuke turning out to be homosexual did not surprise him. The fact that the little shit was still living pissed him off. That the elders had a price of the head of the rightful clan heir was appalling. All of that would be remedied in three months.

In three months, everything would be perfect.

* * *

Temari's eyes narrowed at her brother. "What were you thinking?" He had left them without a word, and now came back and claimed that he might have solved all of their problems, without wasting any of their resources. Honestly, she didn't know the girl he had used, but he was endangering their newly formed alliance with the Uchiha by putting the clan head's cousin in jeopardy like he did. "Kankarou, sometimes, I think you've lost your mind. What if she gets killed? After this whole mess with the Akatsuki, Uchiha will come after _us_. I thought you were supposed to be the spy-master? You're the one who we count on for information, and _intelligent _advice. I suppose I'll have to change your job description to 'village idiot'?"

Waving a dismissive hand as he played with yet another of his masks—this one with purple paint—he raised it to his face. She could see his eyes through the holes. The white face had purple lines in various places, namely around the closed mouth, which said, "You worry too much. Sakura-san will be fine. She is, to say the least, capable. In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea to look into having her work with us on future projects." He never ceased to amaze her. Or, his stupidity did not. Sighing in resignation, she nodded. There was, at the very least, nothing she could do about it at the moment.

* * *

"No, Ino, you don't understand." He grasped his cup of sake, staring into it. "I gave him up. I rolled on him. He's my best friend, and I just…betrayed him." There was a sharp slapping sound as his hand connected with his face again. Nara Shikamaru was decidedly inebriated, which was probably not a good thing. "My father, being the loving—and completely clueless—parent that he is, went to Sasuke about the whole blood-feud business. The debt has been dissolved, but…"

Ino rolled her eyes and then pursed her lips. Then, she smiled and patted his head. "He'll forgive you, Shikamaru-san. You're his best friend, ne? If it had been me, I would have rolled. Sasuke-sama can be very scary. Not like you've got more honor than self-preservation." Shikamaru knew, deep down, that he was being placated. But that was deep down. Right then, he was gloriously pissed out of his mind, and he was re-living the night when he'd met the notorious Uchiha Sasuke.

_The bar was dimly lit, with booths along the back walls, where men in flashy suits sat smoking cigars, telling jokes to each other over the thumping music. Shikamaru sat in one of those booths, but he was not wearing a flashy suit, nor was he smoking a stogie or joking with anyone. In fact, he was sitting alone, very sober, staring at the table-top, as he did every Friday night._

_At his regular table, he still looked at the pieces spread over his small go board. They were the same as they had been the week before. And the week before that. He found himself at an impasse. It was the sort of thing that made him antisocial, this. Shikamaru's patience with his own inability was growing thin. He had been playing himself over and over again, trying to think of a way around this one part of the game. It was utter and total stalemate. But there had to be a way to win. How was he to do it? The small black and white stones mocked him, sitting there, serenely staring up at him._

_"Tough game?" A cool voice said near his ear, which surprised him enough to jolt him out of his strategizing session. Looking up from the board, he found himself face to face with a very pale man just his age. Dark eyes…pale skin…straighter than straight black hair…Uchiha._

_Shikamaru's low and perpetually annoyed voice came in clipped syllables. "Uchiha-san…" The man was hovering. If there was one thing that he hated, it was for people to be in that halfway position, where they didn't look like they wanted to walk away, yet were too polite to simply sit without being asked. Though, it was not quite that way with Uchiha Sasuke. The young oyabun simply looked pointedly at him until he motioned to the seat opposite him. "Please, sit, Uchiha-san."_

_The man lowered himself gracefully into the black lacquered chair that Shikamaru gestured at, and signaled the waitress. Sake was delivered to the table in a matter of no more than thirty seconds, during which there was an awkward silence between the two dark-haired men. Shikamaru glanced down at the board in front of him, then began clearing the pieces from it. As he did, he said, "What is it I can do for you, oyabun?" His tone was respectful, and he did not meet the man's eyes. He had never personally come into contact with this man before, but he had to say that something about him was a bit frightening._

_It was like looking at Naruto when he was angry. He was still one of the prettiest things you'd ever see, but it was a terrible beauty, one that could make you want to run and hide, for fear of what he might do. Usually, in Naruto's case, it ended with nothing more than a fist-fight—which Shikamaru was more often than not too lazy to even participate in—and then everything went back to normal. Just as the last black ceramic piece was dropped in the little velvet bag he kept them in, the Uchiha spoke again, garnering his full attention._

_"Nara-san, I wonder if you might be able to help me." Shikamaru's thin eyebrows rose. Sasuke continued, "I need to ask you about Uzumaki Naruto..."  
_

And that was the beginning of it. It was the very reason why he was now drowning himself in alcohol, and why Ino was having to pry the cup out of his hands. "Shikamaru!" He blinked rapidly at her, seeing no fewer than three sets of dark blue eyes. Her hand connected with his cheek, a slap ringing through the quiet bar. No one paid them any heed. They all knew better. "Get your shit together, you lush!" With that, she stood him up, and threw his arm over her shoulder, intent on getting him home. He soon found himself in a taxi, leaning heavily on Ino.

"How'd I get in here?" He asked, and received a terse reply.

"You, sir, are drunk. I am taking you home." Her bossy tone was getting on his nerves, and he frowned. Looking her in the eyes, his head swayed a bit from side to side, and he was suddenly dizzy. Then, he lay his head back down on her shoulder.

"I'm an asshole," he said dejectedly.

"Shut your mouth, Shikamaru. If one more word of self-pity comes out of that gaping hole, I'll tie you up and gag you." She sounded serious. In fact, she sounded as if her voice was going to get choked up at any moment. "You are not an asshole. You are a good friend, but you can't just go dying. If you did, you know I'd have to find a way to bring you back from the dead so I could kick your ass." The taxi came to a stop, and she opened the door. "You need me to stay with you tonight?"

He thought about that for a long moment. Did he really want to be alone right now? That question was answered for him when he felt Ino's arm around his waist, supporting him, and leading him up the steps to his apartment. "Thanks, Ino." All he got in reply was a grunt as they nearly fell back into the street.

* * *

**A/N:** I decided to do what one of my reviewers said. Footnotes! 

1). obi board--a stiff piece of plastic or wood that give shape to the obi, or belt on a kimono

2). obiage--this is a decorative scarf-like cloth that goes over the obi, and is tied with a cord.

3). obijime--a cord, usually brightly colored, which is tied around the combination of obi and obiage.

4). Naha--I probably mentioned this before, but Naha is the largest town on the island of Okinawa.

Yeah, I know. You saw nothing of Naruto or Sasuke. But aren't Hinata and Neji cute? And Lee just cracks me up.


	10. Appearance of Truth

**A/N:** Ah, here's a chapter with lots of Naruto and Sasuke. Unfortunately, they've got some things that are going on which would not allow for a lemon (I know that all you Naru/Sasu fans are going "awwww" right now, but I'll make it up to you, I promise). I've really not introduced any new characters in this chapter, but there are a couple of small surprises, I think. Hope you like it. Just so anybody doesn't freak out--I've had several people ask me in pm's and the like about Ino's rather...promiscuous behavior--she's not going to end up with Jiraiya either, so don't worry.

**Warnings:**

**FL--**foul language

**C--**Japanese terminology. New words defined at end of chapter.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

* * *

**Chapter 10: **Appearance of Truth

The garden was covered with snow, all gleaming white, and dull green where the yew trees showed through. Naruto was sitting on a bench, waiting. For the first time in months, he was alone. It felt wrong. It was true that Sasuke was an infuriating bastard much of the time, but he had grown used to the man's constant presence, his biting wit, and most of all, the way he would touch him. As he sat on the stone seat waiting for Sasuke, he had to wonder. What kind of meeting could he be having that would exclude Naruto?

After all of his thinking, he came up dry. He just sat there, looking at the white wasteland of the garden, thinking of absolutely nothing, holding a _wakizashi_ across his knees and sighing periodically. The cold did not touch him. He would not allow it to. If he did, it would only remind him of how Sasuke was not here with him. He didn't owe Sasuke anything anymore. At least, not in the way he had before. Naruto's father's debt had been forgiven, but he was still something that belonged to Sasuke. Mind, body and soul, he belonged to him. Ever since that day in pool house, when he first allowed himself to feel for the dark-haired _oyabun_, he had belonged to Sasuke.

Naruto stood, and started to pace, leaving a mushy trail in the snow before he got to the small bridge, and then walked back to the bench. Repeating this, and deep in thought, he failed to see Sasuke enter the garden. So lost in his own meandering mind was he that he was taken completely unaware when he heard Sasuke's voice behind him. "Naruto." He whirled around, finding the source of the voice. He was dressed in black, as usual, but his clothing was traditional. A white under-_kimono_ rested under thick black silk, and Naruto's breath caught. It was the most beautiful, and yet, the saddest he had ever seen Sasuke look. The man walked toward him, three steps, and he was so close as to nearly touch him.

"Sasuke, what took you so long? I've been out here for an hour." Sasuke had asked for him to wait here, of all places, for him. Now, he appeared out of nowhere, and his hands were gripping the front of Naruto's _haori_. Naruto could feel his hands trembling. "What's the matter?" A sense of foreboding came over him as Sasuke looked down into his eyes. "Sasuke, please, tell—" Before he could say another word, he had his breath taken from him, in the most wonderful way possible. Sasuke's mouth was pressed against his, and the taste of _sake_ invaded his senses as he let his lips part. _Sake? _Naruto's mind raced. _A formal ceremony…what is this about?_

Sasuke pulled away from him, eyes filled with an expression Naruto could not understand. "Naruto…I…" His words seemed to fail him, but Naruto soon found himself being pulled, back toward the house, and then in the direction of the motor pool.

Just before Sasuke tried to shove him into the passenger seat of a black Cadillac El Dorado, he dug his heels in, refusing to be pushed any further. "Sasuke! Tell me what this is all about. Right _now._" Yanking his hand out of Sasuke's, he crossed his arms over his chest, and stared stubbornly into smoky gray eyes. His expression softened instantly when he saw that those eyes were filled with unshed tears. Immediately taking Sasuke in his arms, he pressed the man's head against his shoulder. "It's all right, Sasuke. Whatever's wrong, it will be all right." The taller man pushed away from him suddenly, the fine porcelain skin of his cheeks now stained with tears, and eyes filled with sadness, and hopeless anger.

"No. It won't. Do you know what just happened, Naruto?"

"What?" He honestly had no idea.

"I've been given the formal blessing of the retired elders. They now consider me their superior." Naruto did not understand. Wasn't that a good thing? Sensing his question, Sasuke answered it before it could be voiced. "They have given their blessing, Naruto, for all actions that I might take concerning Akatsuki. That means that all of the clans will be behind us. We're moving on this, and soon."

"I still don't get it. Why are you so upset? These are good things. I'll avenge my father, and you'll do the same for your family."

Sasuke shook his head, his frustration radiating from him. "But that's not the point. Yes, the Akatsuki will be dead. But afterward, the elders have given the _suggestion_ that I marry." Naruto blinked. A suggestion from the elders would be more like a veiled threat…thinly veiled. He couldn't breathe. His hand reached out, groping for something, anything to steady him. All he found was Sasuke, and he clung to him. Naruto held tightly to his lover, the man that it seemed he was now destined to lose. "Damn it…" Sasuke breathed, and gently lowered him into the seat of the car, after which Naruto vaguely heard the door shut.

When he noticed that the engine of the Cadillac had roared to life, he looked to Sasuke. "Where are we going?"

Flipping a jet-black fall of hair from his eyes to better see ahead of the car, Sasuke said, "Your place." Naruto was startled. He hadn't been there in months, and he wondered why they were going there now. An idea suddenly occurred to him; one that did not sit well in Naruto's mind at all.

"Are you running away, Sasuke?" Naruto's voice sounded dull in the passenger seat. Sasuke's eyes were fixed on the road, and he did not answer. "Does anyone know where we're going?" Again, there was no answer from the man behind the steering wheel. Naruto was beginning to fear for Sasuke's mental state. Sure, Naruto's wasn't that great either, but he was better off than Sasuke, but he wasn't the one driving at forty kilometers per hour over the speed limit. He put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and squeezed gently. "It's going to be okay."

"Yes. It will." Sasuke said, his voice filled with a determination that Naruto had never heard there before. Watching him for the rest of the drive, Naruto waited. Nothing happened. Not a word was said, not a gesture made. Sasuke pulled the car into the old fire-engine door, and the thing lowered when he got out and pushed a button. Once they were inside Naruto's house, Sasuke flipped the lights on. Everything was exactly as it had been the last time they were here.

Naruto watched Sasuke. He seemed much more at ease now, but there was still that wild-eyed look on his face. Worriedly, he asked, "Why are we here, Sasuke?"

Sasuke merely looked at him. That sad anger still in his eyes, he said, "To be rid of outside interruptions. I need to make sure of something." Before Naruto could process that, he was thrown to his living room floor, Sasuke straddling his hips. "Do you love me?"

Naruto blinked up at him. Slowly, cautiously, he said, "Yes," not knowing what to expect in response.

Leaning down lower, so that his face was only centimeters from Naruto's, Sasuke said, "And you'll stay with me?" Naruto merely nodded. He was anxious for the man sitting on him. Sasuke had never been like this before. The voice that drifted down to Naruto's ears became more insistent. "Forever?"

"Yes. I love you, Sasuke. And I'll stay with you as long as you let me." He reached up and traced Sasuke's cheek, a small thrill moving through him as the pale man leaned into his touch. "Please…You're scaring me. Are you all right?" A smile of pure joy spread over Sasuke's face at these words from Naruto, as if to say, 'I am now.' "Sasuke?" Again, he was yanked, this time up from the floor. He found himself being pulled up the stairs to his bedroom. "Goddamnit, Sasuke, _stop_!" The other man paused, one foot on the fifth step of the spiral staircase, and looked back at Naruto curiously. The blonde bodyguard huffed, exceedingly irritated, and jerked his hand away from Sasuke's grip. "I want you to tell me, _right now_, what is going on in that head of yours. Yeah, you getting married might be a little bit of a problem. I want to know that you're all right. Are you?"

Sasuke gracefully descended two of the stairs, and leaned close to Naruto, a serene smile on his face. "I think…yes. I am fine. Now, please come upstairs with me. I want to show you what you will have that no woman ever will." Naruto smiled, finally knowing that Sasuke was, in fact, sane and whole. He followed Sasuke up the stairs, and frowned at his bedroom. There were new _tatami_ mats to replace those that his blood had stained, as well as a new futon, identical to the one he had owned before.

Sasuke immediately began working the sash of Naruto's _hakama_. He loved the feeling of Sasuke's hands on him, but something occurred to him, just then. "Wait. Sasuke, are you saying that you'll have a wife, and me, too?"

Smiling, Sasuke nodded, still absorbed in his work. "Only in name. They want me married? I'll marry. But I'm not going to be with her, whoever she is. I belong to one person, Naruto, and I'm looking right at him." In spite of the warm feeling that admission gave him, he couldn't help but be a little put out.

"I can't think of one woman that would put up with an arrangement like that." Naruto's frown made Sasuke's smile widen even more. He thought he heard Sasuke say something like 'all the better for us,' before a sharp tug to the sash at his waist had his _hakama_ pooling around his ankles. Naruto shrugged inwardly. Sasuke did have a point there. If no one wanted to marry him after the arrangement was stated, it wasn't his fault. "Sounds good to me, _Koibito_," Naruto said before he shrugged off the rest of his clothing and proceeded to trip Sasuke onto the futon.

* * *

Okay. So maybe this was a bad idea. Ino looked around. There was a very large lump in her bed. Just the thought of Jiraiya was starting to make her…strangely aroused. Damn it. She had only meant to restrain him and leave him in a room until it was time for him to do his job. But, it turned out that in addition to being an assassin, a spy, and a monk, he was also excellent at untying knots and picking locks. So, he'd tracked her down, and made her 'apologize' numerous times. 

The old man had a few tricks up his sleeve, that was sure. This was the third time in so many days that she'd woken up with him in her bed. The first time was after the false bondage incident. The second was after she'd finished practicing with her throwing knives, and her katas, and had returned to her room sweating. She remembered him saying something about 'liking them sweaty' before she was hauled off of her feet and deposited in a surprisingly gentle manner on the bed. Ino had yet to find a state of being that turned the man _off_.

Now, she knew nothing at all had happened. She just woke up at…midnight, and there he was, lying next to her, watching her. "You freak. Get out of my bed, _oyaji_."

"I was hoping that we could go out." His voice was absolutely serious. Out? In public? With Jiraiya?

Absolutely not. It was not going to happen. She told him as much, but he simply got up from the bed and went to her closet. Ino blinked as he rifled through the hangers. He was wearing a dark suit, not his usual temple robes. The thing fit him very well, and Ino cursed under her breath. _Damned hormones. I wish Gaara were here. Then I definitely wouldn't have to deal with the perverted monk._ "Ah. Here we are." He pulled out a dark red dress. She had just bought that, and had not yet worn it. She'd gotten it specifically for the next time she saw Gaara.

"No. Not that one. That one's for a special occasion."

"Going out with me isn't special enough?" His voice was amused but did sound a little hurt. _Megalomania, much?_

"No, it isn't. That's for when I next see someone very special to me. He likes that color." Ino took the garment from his hand and put it back into the closet. Sighing in resignation, she shoved him to one side. "Get out of the way, baka. I'm going to find something." She flipped through her clothes until she found what she was looking for: a black dress, all lace, with a skin-colored lining, cut into a halter-top that plunged quite low in the back and fell almost to her knees. She slipped it on, as well as her boots. "There. Happy?"

"Beyond measure." Jiraiya's hands gripped her waist, and lifted her off of the floor. "You look sexy, as always." It seemed like he was going to throw her onto the bed again, and have his way with her. She wouldn't have complained, per se, but she didn't like getting all dressed up and not leaving the house. Instead, he bent and nipped at her neck, his teeth grazing the skin just below her ear. That did it.

"Jiraiya, do I need to get the handcuffs? If you keep that up, we're not going anywhere." He growled against her neck, sending welcome shivers through her. The man was no Gaara, but he would do in the mean time. He put her down, and she straightened her dress. Ino shook an admonishing finger at him. "No more of that, mister. If we're going somewhere, lets go. If not, don't make me get all dressed up." He chuckled, and took her arm like the gentleman he wasn't. That made her smile. He could play a part pretty well.

They took a taxi out to the nightclub district, and Ino found herself in a familiar bar. If she wasn't mistaken, this was one of Tsunade's haunts. And sure enough, there was the doctor, drowning her sorrows in _sake_ and white radish. Jiraiya saw her, as well. By the smitten look on his face, she knew the man was in deep trouble. "Ah, _ojisan_, you don't want to go there." He looked at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

Ino pointed openly at the woman. "That's Tsunade-san. She's the Uchiha family doctor, and not someone you want to fuck with." The expression on his face did not change. "Fine, old man. It's your funeral." This might actually be pretty entertaining.

"Funeral?" He waved a dismissive hand at her assertion. "Oh, I'm sure she'll love me." Ino watched as Jiraiya moved to sit down with Tsunade. She wasn't the least bit put off that she had been abandoned. He was fun to play with, but she really didn't like him all that much. That, and who was she to pass up a free show? He stood to get his face bashed in, even if he was a master assassin. Ino leaned against the wall near the door, watching. The two of them talked for a few moments, after which the woman's hand shot out and settled itself between Jiraiya's legs. From his posture, it was not doing anything pleasant.

Ino smiled. She sidled up to Tsunade, greeting her. "Tsunade-san, how nice to see you. Oh, and I see you've met Jiraya-sama."

"Ino, did you bring this _hentai_ in here?" She nodded in answer, and the woman let go of Jiraiya. "And you let him approach me because?"

"It's fun to watch." She leaned over, so that she could see Jiraiya's still recovering face. "Didn't I tell you, old man? She's not someone to mess with, is she?"

Before Jiraiya could answer, Tsunade said, "Next time you decide to bring someone to my favorite bar, could you please check with me first? I don't ever want to see this idiot again." There was a tone of familiarity there that was soon explained when Jiraiya next spoke.

"I said I was sorry, didn't I, Tsu-chan? It was so long ago!" They knew each other? Well, that explained a lot. Tsunade merely ordered another sake and ignored him. "Please? I didn't mean it. Really, I didn't." His tone was utterly desperate, but Ino couldn't feel sorry for him if she tried. Tsunade stopped moving, her cup halfway to her lips. She turned her head toward Jiraiya, and scowled.

"What do you mean, you didn't mean it? What didn't you 'mean', exactly? The part where you published pictures of me naked, or the part where I got kicked out of med school? Oh! Maybe you mean the part where you left me at the altar?" Ino's eyes widened. They were going to be married? Oh, this was getting good. She settled in to listen. But, she didn't get much more to hear. Jiraiya opened his mouth, and Tsunade simply grabbed his wrist and started hauling him out of the bar. Fearing for the man's safety, she followed them at what she deemed to be a safe distance, ready to intervene if things got out of hand. Tsunade dragged the large man into a nearby alley, and though Ino couldn't see them, she knew that the woman was beating him within an inch of his life.

Peeking around the corner, she saw that she was not, in fact, correct. The thumping sounds she'd been hearing were not punches. Tsunade was ripping Jiraiya's clothes off. The first thump Ino had heard was his jacket, which had some light armor sewn into the lining. The false monk was pressed against the wall of the alley, a look of utter disbelief on his face, though it was quickly melting into one of sheer pleasure. "Damn you…" Tsunade began muttering all manner of curses at him as she unzipped his pants. Ino's eyebrows tried to climb into her hairline as she watched, transfixed for a few moments. Could the human body really bend in that position? That was more than enough for her. She walked back to the bar, and hailed a taxi, taking it back to the Uchiha estate. Ino was beyond disturbed. Tsunade having sex was just far too scary. But, more power to her. If she could reign in that perverted monk, then Ino would shake her hand. At the very least, she wouldn't have to worry about waking up with him in her bed again. That was one less mistake that she would be repeating.

* * *

Iruka's eyes narrowed. The man who sat across the desk from him merely smiled. Looking down at the list that was as long as his forearm, he sucked a tooth. "And you need this when?" 

A toothy smile from Kakashi made him wince. "As soon as humanly possible, Iruka. You know, I heard a line somewhere… 'Know not this haste of mine…' It fits this situation perfectly. You really do not have any clue how badly we need this, and how soon we do. We've got people on Hokkaido." Iruka's eyebrows rose, and he ran a finger over the scar that crossed the bridge of his nose. It wasn't as if he didn't know that. For God's sake, his wife was there. And Kurenai technically was one of the Uchiha's 'people' at the moment.

Frowning down at the list again, he said, "You know that I'll have to call in a few favors, Kakashi. This stuff isn't cheap. Especially to get it past Customs." The man simply waved off his warning. "What's got the Uchiha's panties in a wad to get this done so quickly?"

That unsettling smile moved over Kakashi's thin lips again. "Call it a family matter, 'Ruka." Warning bells started going off in Iruka's head. Kakashi never called him that unless he wanted something extra special.

"What do you want?" Iruka blurted this out, without thinking. As usual, he was right on the mark. Kakashi sat up straight, now all business. _Not a good sign._

"I need to ask a favor of you, old friend." When Iruka asked him what that favor was, he felt an ominous silence fall over the room before Kakashi answered. "Do you still know any 'independent contractors'?" That was Kakashi's term for assassins. Iruka gaped at the man. Kakashi was more than proficient at his job, and Iruka thought that the only person who would be able to match him was Kurenai. He waited for the man to continue after he nodded. "I have a loose end that needs tying, and I can't have any of the Uchiha organization connected with it."

"This have anything to do with Akatsuki?" At Kakashi's nod, he said, "If I'm sticking my neck out, let me know right now what I'm sticking it out for. If it's for Uchiha, I'm not sure if I want to."

"It isn't." Kakashi shifted his weight, leaning on his other elbow. "It's for Anko." Iruka was rather surprised at this reply. He supposed that he shouldn't be too surprised. The two of them were bound to end up together again. They were just too good for each other. Iruka let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair, giving the slightly older man a wise look.

"Well, if it's for her, I'll see what I can do. Just so long as you don't go fucking things up again." Kakashi laughed, saying that there was little chance of that. "Okay. So what's the job?"

Leaning forward in his chair, Kakashi stopped laughing. "I want Orochimaru dead by noon tomorrow."

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes, and looked around. Sasuke was not lying next to him. In a moment of panic, he jumped up from the futon, tearing around his bedroom, the bathroom, and then bounding down the stairs after wrapping the sheet around himself, only to find the pale man sitting in the library, a pair of black boxer shorts and white gloves the only garments he wore as he leafed through the large leather-bound volume on the table. He bit his lip as his eyes fixed on Sasuke's face, which was etched in concentration. Why did he find Naruto's family history so interesting? Those long, gloved fingers delicately turned each page with the same reverence that Naruto himself used when handling the book. Sasuke looked up from the manuscript, and smiled at Naruto before removing the gloves and putting them back into the drawer he'd gotten them from. 

"I see you're feeling better." He said after Sasuke gave him a very sweet kiss good morning. The dark-eyed man merely nodded, a soft smile gracing his lips and eying what Naruto was wearing, amused. "Are we going back to your house?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Not today. All of the preparations are being made as we speak, and Kakashi has a decent handle on things. As soon as our contacts and suppliers are ready, we move. I'm guessing in no less than a week. So we have a bit of time. And during that week," Sasuke pulled him forward, his hands running down Naruto's back and under the sheet. It took a lot of willpower for the blonde's mind to keep from clouding over as he felt agile fingers caress the flesh of his backside. "I'm going to make sure your skills haven't dulled."

The unspoken challenge had Naruto bristling, just as Sasuke wanted him to. "Are you saying I'm going soft, Sasuke? Oh, I'm sorry…" He extricated himself from Sasuke before bowing reverently, all the while clutching the bed sheet around his waist. "I mean…Sasuke-_sama._" Sasuke made an irritated noise, and Naruto simply grinned at him cheekily. He did like to be able to get under Sasuke's skin. Turn-about was fair play, after all. The look on Sasuke's face was serious now. "Fine, fine. We'll train. But breakfast first, ne?"

Four hours later, Naruto found himself defending against Sasuke, but the were not using real weapons, as per Naruto's request. If Sasuke really thought that he couldn't fight all out with a _shinai_, then he wasn't showing any indication that he thought that was so at the moment. Both of them fought hard against the other. They stopped to rest after Sasuke had been knocked to the floor for the fifth time, and Naruto handed him a glass of water once they got to the kitchen. "Ne, Sasuke?"

"Yes?" Sasuke leaned against the stove, a light sheen of sweat covering his face, and his torso, in spite of all his efforts to wipe it away. He wore only a pair of Naruto's shorts, which were just a little bit too big in the hips, causing them to hang low, clinging on for dear life just above pale buttocks and dark hair. Overall, the picture was almost too much for Naruto to handle, especially when he drank. That must be a position calculated by whatever God there was to make him painfully aroused. As difficult as it was, he pushed his hormones to the wayside for the moment and asked Sasuke something he'd been wanting to for some time. "Why did my father owe your family?"

Sasuke frowned around the clear blue edge of his glass. It didn't seem like he was going to answer. Naruto was about to drop the subject when he heard that low and musical voice recount the circumstances of the debt. "I'm sure you're familiar with my brother, Itachi?" Naruto nodded, holding back a nearly feral growl, then Sasuke proceeded with the story. "Just after he killed my parents, and our sisters, he tried to take control of the clan. It wasn't as if any of the Elders would have accepted him after he murdered the clan head and the others. I escaped his reach, and he fled. Before the word got out about what he had done, he asked your father for help in getting out of the country. Naruto, the only reason I spared his life was because it was clear that he had no idea about what Itachi had done." Naruto nodded, understanding.

"Can I ask you something, Naruto?" Again, the blonde nodded. "Once you kill the man you're saving your father's sword for, what will you do? Will you be the head of your clan?" Before Naruto could answer, his telephone rang.

He moved toward it, and picked up the receiver. "Moshi, moshi. Uzumaki Naruto speaking."

"Hello, Naruto." A low, smooth and deadly calm male voice said through the phone.

"Who is this?" Naruto was confused. He had never heard this voice before.

There was an amused little laugh, then a brief silence before the voice said, "My name is Sabaku no Gara. I am not supposed to be speaking to you like this, but I made a promise to Ino that I would." Naruto's confusion only grew until the man on the other end of the phone said, "I'm calling you to tell you that we have something in common…"

* * *

Sakura's blush deepened. Lee was far too excessive in his compliments. He always was. And he was excessive in doting on her. He had just handed her a large box, wrapped in pink paper. There was no refusing his gift. She had tried once before, a few days earlier, when he had given her an intricate silver comb for her hair. It was really beautiful, but Sakura really did feel wrong accepting anything from him. This was a job. But as she carefully unwrapped the box, and opened it, there was a part of her that forgot anything about it being a job. 

Lying there, in the box, was the most beautiful green kimono she had ever seen. "To go with your eyes." He liked her eyes. No. Point of fact…he loved her eyes. It was the first thing he told her in the morning, right after calling her all manner of outlandish names expounding on her beauty, grace, and demeanor. If only he knew. If only she could show him that she was nothing like this. She hated having to smile and laugh all of the time. And he just took it all in, soaking it up. Sakura knew that he was falling in love with her, and she wished that she could stop it. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. He was too sweet.

She ran a finger along the collar of the garment in the box, thoughtfully. "Lee-san, it's beautiful," Her finger came across a lump under the fabric of the kimono. When she reached under it, she found…a _tessen?_ She snapped the fan open, admiring the designs painted on the metal, and eying the razor-sharp edges on the tips of each fan blade. "Lee-san?" Why had he given her a weapon?

He leaned close to her, and spoke in hushed tones. "Sakura-san, please keep that close. I have only just discovered some disturbing things about the people who are coming here for dinner tonight." Her eyes widened, and she wondered why he was whispering, but she nodded. "I also have reason to suspect some of the maids here. Keep that fan with you at all times. If anything happened to you…" The look of pain in his eyes was too much for her to bear. This had gone on for too long. She hated this. Why did it have to be this way? He was so sweet, and innocent, and she wished that she could tell him why she was there. But then again, she had a feeling that he was a very bad actor, so he wouldn't be able to help her. Also, what he didn't know would be much less likely to hurt him.

Sakura placed the box on the floor, and removed her usual fan from its cloth sleeve, replacing it with the _tessen_. Once the sheathed fan was placed back behind her obi, she stood and thanked him, then motioned that he follow her. Over the past week, Sakura had actually grown fond of his loud behavior, his brash affection. She wasn't going to tell him that she was a spy. But she could let the mask slip, just a little. When they were in a room with no windows, the bathroom, she turned to him, and said, "Please don't worry about me, Lee-san. I can take care of myself."

"Sakura-san, it is my youthful—"

Her temper began to flare, and her green eyes flashed. "Lee, that's enough. Look at me." He seemed stunned. "I am sorry to have deceived you. But I will tell you here and now, that I am no geisha."

Lee relaxed considerably. "I know that."

"What?" Sakura stared, incredulity painted over her face, the same as her makeup was. "How…when did you figure it out?"

Lee sat on the edge of the bath. "The first night I brought you here. I saw it. Geisha are trained for years never to let themselves be seen as anything but serene. You let your guard down because I was drunk."

"And you let me stay? Why?" She already knew the answer to that, really.

"I have my reasons, Sakura. You are, as I have said many times, very beautiful, and you must know how I feel about you. But there are others, which I cannot tell you." She looked at him, completely filled with disbelief. Who was he? What was he doing here, and were they using each other now? Or had it been that way to begin with? Her head spun. Lee smiled at her, radiant once more. "I suppose you know how to use the _tessen?_"

"Yes, though it isn't my preferred weapon. Lee, I'm sorry." She tried to sound as sincere as she felt, unsure that it came out as well as she wanted it to.

"No apologies are necessary. Just be careful tonight. There will be some very influential, and very notorious individuals coming here tonight. I'm supposed to be watching them." Was he a spy? No. That couldn't be. He was far too open. Then again, the first thing Kakashi taught her was that the best place to hide was in plain sight. The man bowed to her with a sweet smile; she was now wondering if it was faked, and left the bathroom.

Sakura was stunned for a long moment. Then, she ran out of the bathroom, as fast as her kimono would allow, to catch up with Lee. When she caught his sleeve, just before he was to leave the room entirely, she just wanted to look at his face, to see if everything he'd said to her thus far was a lie. But when he turned, she was surprised, and more so than she had ever been in her life, before. He swept her up into his arms, and Sakura was left blinking as she was thoroughly kissed. It was not the kind of kiss that a man who was in any way innocent would give. This was a full, deep, and sensual kiss that took her breath away. He pulled away from her, and she could finally breathe. "Who are you?" Her voice came out as a harsh whisper as she looked into dark eyes that now held more mystery than any she'd yet seen.

Lee simply smiled. "I'm Rock Lee. More than that, I cannot tell you."

* * *

**A/N:** New words! 

**oyaji--**basically means "old man", kind of like _ojisan_.

**tessen**--a fan used as a weapon; can be made of metal with painted designs, or bamboo and cloth with razors at the edges.


	11. Strawberries and Fire

**A/N:** Well...I didn't get too many reviews from the last chapter...so I'm starting to think that you guys are really just in this for the sex? I hope not. I mean, I know there are a lot of hentais out there, but geesh. Oh, well. This chapter has a decently long love scene, so you can be happy hentais. Yuya and Ichiro are actual people. They run a shop selling vintage, antique, and new kimono in Osaka, Japan. If you would like to visit their website, please go to . It is their online "flea market," though I have not seen anything that is of poor quality. And they are wonderfully kind and helpful people. Oh, and my apologies to any of you that actually _ like_ Ranma 1/2 (I'll keep you in my prayers, O Ye of Bad Taste), I have to bash every now and again...

**Warnings:**

**FL--**foul language, as usual

**LF--**lemony fluff. Yes, there is such a thing.

**Y--**Yaoi goodness.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor. Neither do I own Ninja Scroll (Kawajiri Yoshiaki), Cowboy Bebop (Kawamoto Toshihiro), Sailor Moon (Takeuchi Naoko) or Ranma 1/2 (Takahashi Rumiko).

* * *

**Machi Yoko Naruto

* * *

Chapter 11: **Strawberries and Fire

* * *

"So when the hell were you planning on telling me that I have a brother?" Naruto asked in a deadly calm voice as he hung up the telephone. Sasuke was wedged between the counter and Naruto's body, and he was only slightly frightened by the dangerous tone his lover was using. "Well? I'm waiting, _teme_." Apparently, he had just finished talking to Gaara. Sasuke was at a bit of a loss. He really didn't think that anything would come of Ino's visit. Perhaps the woman was more persuasive than he had thought? 

"Naruto, I—" The blonde's eyes shut him up. He already seemed to know that Sasuke didn't want to be the one to tell him, which was what he had been about to say. In fact, he was going to say that he wanted his brother to be the one to enlighten him. Naruto sagged where he stood, his forehead coming to rest on Sasuke's shoulder. "Are you all right?" It was all he could think to say. With everything that had happened, he did feel guilty about keeping things from Naruto. And now, that guilt was laid bare. Naruto could see it, he was sure. Maybe that was why he had stopped being angry, and just collapsed against him.

Quietly, the other man said, "There aren't any other big surprises you've kept from me, are there? I don't think I can handle anything else." Sasuke made a negative grunt. "Good." Suddenly, Sasuke's world tipped sideways, then upside down altogether as Naruto threw him over his shoulder. With each step, Sasuke got a painful jolt of shoulder in his stomach, and he stifled a grunt. The blonde man set him down on the couch, and then grabbed the remote control for the television before settling himself behind Sasuke.

In a few seconds, Sasuke's least favorite show came on, and Naruto stealthily wrapped his legs around his waist, making certain that he could not get away. "Naruto, why are we watching this?"

An evil smile crossed scarred features. He could feel that smile against his neck. "This is your punishment for keeping me in the dark, and a warning against future infractions." And, with that, Naruto clamped himself firmly around Sasuke, and made him watch as the program progressed. The chin that sat on his shoulder moved as Naruto said, "You know, I will never understand that Ryouga. He takes everything so literally!"

Sasuke turned his face to look at Naruto, who was still holding him firmly in place. Trying not to sound as if he was whining—though doing exactly that—he said, "Naruto, please. I hate _Ranma._ You know I hate it." Naruto began chuckling as Ryouga turned into P-chan. "For the love of all that is holy, Naruto, I'm sorry! Just turn it off!" Naruto laughed harder, and Sasuke started to struggle. "It's not goddamned funny, idiot! We're losing IQ points watching this." He was getting desperate. He couldn't move. He was even having a hard time breathing. All he could do was sit there and watch Ranma chasing the little black pig down the hallway. If the man wanted to watch anime, then why didn't he watch something good? Why didn't he watch something like _Ninja Scroll, _or _Cowboy Bebop?_ Hell, Sasuke would even watch _Sailor Moon_ before he'd voluntarily sit through an episode of _Ranma ½._

"Well, Sasuke, if you promise to be a good boy, I'll turn it off." Suddenly, Sasuke stopped struggling. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he heard Naruto's voice in his ear, low, growling, and causing reactions in him that he didn't want at the moment. He struggled just a little more, but only in a half-hearted kind of way. His skin was pebbled with goose bumps as the television channel changed. The screen went blue, and then there was a mechanical click, and a whirring sound. Naruto's DVD player had come on, and the changer had been initialized. There was no telling what would come on next.

The screen still blue, there was suddenly beautiful music flowing through the room. Sasuke could make out a _shamisen_, a small drum, and a flute. He leaned his head back against Naruto, and rested his hands on the man's knees, pulling Naruto's legs tighter around himself. He could have been mistaken, but he didn't think he was. Sasuke had heard a little mewl of happiness. He smiled as the music lulled him, and as Naruto's arms loosened to a more comfortable hold. Just when he thought he was almost relaxed enough to fall asleep, his goose bumps came back. Naruto had started nibbling at his neck. "Mm…" he said contentedly, "Naruto, when's the last time I told you how much I love you?"

Pausing in his biting, the man seemed to think for a moment. His voice was rather amused when he continued, "This morning, before breakfast, while I had you in the shower." Sasuke's eyes nearly rolled back in his head at that thought. He hadn't _told _him anything. Sasuke didn't count nearly unintelligible moaning and screaming as any kind of conversation. "Why? Do you want to repeat that incident?" As much as Sasuke really wanted to say yes, he shook his head.

"No. I was just thinking how nice _this_ feels." Sasuke trailed his fingers up Naruto's thighs, and got another happy little whimper for his trouble. "I love you," he said, turning his head to peck the side of Naruto's face before turning back around to look at the bright blue of the television.

"Oh. I can handle that." He could feel Naruto's smile against his neck, broad, warm, and genuine. It was a smile that was uniquely his, and it was the one that he loved above all other expressions. But then, there was a telltale twitch in that smile, which was another reason why he loved it. "Saaaasuke…" Naruto sang in his ear.

"What?" He knew what was coming. Naruto wanted something, and he would annoy the hell out of him until he got it.

"Let's go out."

"Out? Out where?" Sasuke asked this curiously, his voice rising as Naruto commenced biting his neck again, which caused more than only goose bumps to rise. "If you want to go out, you'd better stop that." The man behind him only took hold of his arms, clamped down with his legs, and continued with the absolute torture that he was so wonderful at.

Between applying teeth and tongue to the sensitive areas of his neck, he heard Naruto say, "We could go—" a particularly nice swirl of tongue over his jugular made him jump "—out to eat—" teeth nipping at his collarbone, and he moaned "—or go to a bar—" his ear somehow found its way into Naruto's mouth "—how about going to a tea house?" That seemed to be the end to Naruto's suggestions. For a moment, Sasuke merely relaxed against his lover and said nothing, just letting sensation wash over him. Then, Naruto stopped, much to his (and his libido's) dismay.

"Hey, why did you stop?" The dark-haired young _oyabun_ said, irritated, and turning his head slightly so that he could see Naruto. The man was grinning like an idiot.

"That was just encouragement. Bribery to get what I want out of you." Sasuke's mouth hung open at his words. Naruto reached up and shut his mouth for him, his teeth clicking together. "Come on, Sasuke. Are you ashamed to be seen in public with me if I'm in street clothes or something?" Sasuke started. He had never thought that Naruto might wonder about that sort of thing. Sasuke certainly didn't. He could never think of being ashamed of someone so beautiful. In fact, it was quite the contrary.

"No, Naruto. I just think you look—" Sasuke pressed himself firmly against the man's chest, rubbing his face on Naruto's neck "—exceptionally fine and very sexy in a kimono." Letting his lips graze lightly tanned skin, he said, "Why do you think I made you wear nothing else? I needed eye candy. But you look _good_ in anything, you know that." Truth be told, he didn't want to take Naruto out, simply because the man drew too much attention. He was far too beautiful for his own good, and Sasuke didn't want other people looking at him. Selfish, yes. But Uchiha Sasuke was, by nature, a jealous and protective man. And with someone so important to him, he felt he had the right to be so. Naruto seemed to catch on, and he laughed lightly as Sasuke's tongue flicked his earlobe, just before sharp teeth grazed the sensitive flesh.

His voice rose half an octave at that contact. "That's a little…aaaah…possessive, don't you think?"

Sasuke latched onto his neck, biting down just a bit harder than was comfortable for the man, and dug his nails into the thighs wrapped around his waist. There was a high possibility that both actions were going to leave marks. "Is that a problem, Naruto? Do you take offense at me not wanting to share?" Blonde hair brushed his forehead as he was answered in the negative, Naruto's head shaking from side to side. In answer to the question that started this debate, Sasuke soothed the fresh ring of teeth marks with his tongue, then said, "I have no objection to the tea house. But I have no clothes to go to such a place. Nothing clean, anyway."

Naruto laughed. "Well, leave that to me." Sasuke was rather puzzled for a moment as the legs that were around his waist left him, and he then felt alone and small on the couch. Telephone now in hand, Naruto smiled brightly, and dialed a number. "Ichiro-san? _Sumimasen, _old friend. I regret to call you at home. _Hai, hai. _I need a favor. A friend and I will be by the store in a little bit. Can you suit us?" After a short pause, Naruto said in a very formal tone, "_Domo arigato gozaimasu_. We will be at the store in twenty minutes," and then hung up the phone and turned to Sasuke, who still sat on the couch, mourning the loss of Naruto's body. "Now that we'll have something to wear, we best get clean. And no funny business in the shower. The store is down the street, but we've only got twenty minutes."

Getting up from his seat, Sasuke walked—rather uncomfortably—to the stairs, where he was pushed up by Naruto. All the while, Sasuke cursed under his breath about his erection.

* * *

The store turned out to be a small shop that sold vintage and antique kimono. The owner, Takahashi Ichiro, met them at the door, just as he flipped on the lights. It appeared that Naruto was close, personal friends with the man, as well as his wife, Yuya, who smiled graciously at Sasuke as she nodded her greeting. "Yuya-chan!" Naruto said in a loud and genial tone, before bowing slightly and then shaking her hand. "It has been a long time. I am very sorry to interrupt your day off…"

"Nonsense, Naruto-kun! We love you, you know that. If we had children, we would want our sons to be just like you." The woman's manner was so genuine, and her smile so open, Sasuke knew that she spoke the truth. Her eyes strayed to Sasuke, and Naruto seemed to remember himself.

"Forgive me, please. Yuya-chan, Ichiro-san, this is a very close friend of mine, Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, these are the people who looked after me while I was younger, after my mother passed away."

Ichiro's voice rumbled, "You mean after she was murdered." Yuya pulled a fan, seemingly from out of nowhere, and smacked her husband on the back of the head after she saw the smile fade from Naruto's face. The man mumbled, "My apologies. I forget myself." After a long moment of tense silence, he cleared his throat. "Well, what can I help you boys with today?"

"We'll be going to Falling Leaves, but as you can see, we're not dressed." Naruto's voice had none of the tension in it that Sasuke thought he saw in his shoulders, and he was amazed. He must really care for these people to hold himself back like this.

Yuya smiled, and said, "That is easily remedied. I have half a dozen things that would look wonderful on your friend. He's lovely." Her eyes had a certain glint to them that showed Sasuke the woman was well aware of their situation. How had she caught on, just by seeing them together? He shrugged it off. It didn't matter. Sasuke had never really had a real relationship before, so he had no reservations about being completely open about it. Sasuke found himself being pulled to the back of the shop. Not long after, the woman was throwing up her hands in elation. "That is just…oh, I don't think I've ever seen anyone look so handsome!"

Sasuke looked at himself in the mirror. The frown on his face actually faded after a long moment. It didn't look bad at all. And it wasn't even black. The woman had found a dark red kimono for him, which was now belted around him by a black obi. He turned to where Naruto was being suited, to get the man's opinion. Blue eyes turned toward him, and widened.

"Sasuke, that looks…" but the rest of his words were drowned out by Yuya, and his own heartbeat. Naruto wore a kimono that was almost suited for a festival. It was entirely the color of his eyes, belted in pale green, and Sasuke found that he could barely breathe, just from looking at him.

Half an hour later, both young men were thanking Ichiro and Yuya profusely on their way out of the door. They then got into the car, and Naruto gave Sasuke directions to Falling Leaves, his favorite teahouse. The place was small, but beautifully furnished. There was a private room in the back, and it was given them as soon as the woman stationed at the door saw Naruto. "Naruto-san! How wonderful to have you here again! Should we bring tea back for you, as well as some other refreshments?"

"Yes, Kira-san, that would be lovely." They were led to the private room by a small man of about fifty years, obviously Kira's father, and Sasuke assumed that the man was the owner of the establishment. He let Naruto walk ahead of him, since he was the one known to these people. Once they were seated, the man left them. Naruto turned to him, a sly smile on his face. Sasuke knew that look. Suddenly, he felt rather warm. Had Naruto only wanted to go out so that they would be able to make love in a public place?

Shortly, the girl named Kira returned, with tea, and was followed by two young girls, no older than fifteen. The tray of tea was placed between the two men, and Kira bowed to Naruto. The girls settled trays of fruit and sushi on either side of the tea, and scurried out of the room. Kira leaned down and whispered something in Naruto's ear, then left, closing the doors. Naruto lifted the tea tray, and pulled a flat package from under the lacquered wood. He smiled and opened it. Inside, there were pictures. To Sasuke's surprise, there were images of his brother, of Kisame, Zetsu, Deidara, and even Sasori and the others. The only one of the ring leaders that was not represented was the one no one could identify. The supreme leader.

"Where did you get these?"

Naruto placed them on the floor between them. "Kira is a very accomplished photographer. Her family has worked for mine for a very long time." So, that was the true reason for him suggesting they go out… Sasuke eyed Naruto suspiciously. "Hey, if I'm going to do the damned _yakuza_ thing, I have to renew all of my connections. Kira is the youngest, and most capable of my family's information specialists. She's my fourth cousin on my father's side, and her father has done us great service in the past. I have every reason to trust her."

"So…"

"No, I'm not telling you anything else." Naruto stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's just enjoy the meal that Kira prepared." The blonde man smiled at Sasuke's scowl, and plucked a strawberry from the platter. He was making little sounds of delight as he ate it, which made Sasuke realize that he really was hungry. He had not eaten since breakfast, and after training for so long against a man who seemed never to tire, one developed something of an appetite. When Sasuke reached for one of the strawberries for himself, Naruto slapped his hand away.

Snatching up another of the fruits, the blonde smiled widely. Sasuke found himself being leaned against the table, his kimono pulled away from his neck, and strawberry juice running down his chest, which Naruto dutifully licked off of him. His eyes closed as the scent of strawberries mingled with that of Naruto, invading his mind, and rendering him completely unable to resist. It always seemed to happen this way. His lover had found the absolute best way to change the subject of any conversation. No matter how many times he did this, it always seemed to work.

His reflection on the other man's distraction techniques only got so far, as always. Sasuke soon found his clothes being unceremoniously removed, the plates of food shoved aside. Pictures of mass murderers slid to the floor, and his mind shut down at the sudden sensory overload. "Aah." Sticky sweetness dribbled over his skin, followed shortly thereafter by a warm, wet, and slightly rough tongue, giving Sasuke the impression of being lovingly groomed by a large cat. Before he could snort at that idea, he heard and felt the knot of his obi being completely undone, and the entire thing was pulled teasingly from his waist in short order, with one smooth tug.

The folds of his kimono opened, and then the under kimono came untied, and warm hands smoothed over skin that was the color of fine porcelain, again bringing up pebbled flesh. The air of the room was cool on his skin when the cloth fell away, revealing him in the soft light, and Sasuke finally found himself, when he realized that he was tugging at Naruto's clothing. The other man smiled at him as if it were amusing that Sasuke could not figure out how to remove a simple obi.

Growling at this idea, he concentrated all of his energies on that knot, trying his best to ignore Naruto's roving hands. It became more and more difficult as he felt them enter his underwear, which were soon gone as well. As the green fabric finally came untied under his persistent efforts, he gave a small cry of triumph. When he had shoved away and untied the rest of the other man's clothing, he looked up at him, smirking. That smirk only lasted so long, because he found himself pressed back against the table, the cool lacquered surface chilling the skin of his back. "Sasuke," Naruto whispered, "is here all right with you, or is it too cold?" He nearly laughed. The blonde was usually not so very considerate in his…attentions.

Against a wall, in a closet, on the conference room table (which was glass, and quite cold indeed), in the swimming pool, on couches, wherever. Naruto usually found a way to make Sasuke not care where they were. Temperature was the least of his worries as he felt Naruto press against him, warm and teasing. Fingers ran up his sides, ghosting over his skin and causing him to shiver. Why did those hands always affect him so? Of the thousands of touches he had received from Naruto, no two ever were the same, which might have accounted for the fact that he never really got used to how wonderful those calloused fingers made him feel.

Blue eyes were looking down at him with concern, a small frown forming on lips that Sasuke could not help but take advantage of. Raising his face to meet Naruto's, he traced those lips with his tongue, gently asking. And suddenly, he found that he could not breathe. Hands took his face quickly, and pulled him up farther, a taste sweeter than any honey filling his mind and mouth, invading him, and pushing away any thought of the table, the room, or the fact that on the other side of the door were dozens of people that might hear the cries that they both would soon be making.

Skin slid against skin, and heat began to build. "Naruto…I don't c-care about the table…" he said as he felt that wonderful tongue on the skin of his chest, circling teasingly around his left nipple, and nearly causing his voice to break. "…gods…just…oh, please, stop teasing me…"

One swipe of warm wetness over that small, exceedingly sensitive piece of skin, and he heard in a low, thick growl, "But you're so beautiful when I do, Sasuke. Do you know how beautiful you are?" Naruto's lips trailed kisses up his chest, then his neck to his jaw, and finally again to his mouth, where if it were possible, Sasuke would keep them forever. Between kisses—which the fair-skinned man could not decide if they were searing or just intoxicatingly sweet—Naurto murmured, "It's torture for me, too, you know." Wondering what Naruto meant by this, he absently stroked the back of the other man's smooth, tanned leg with his foot, all the while frowning in confusion.

Lips lowered to his ear, only millimeters away from the responsive flesh. "It's the hardest thing for me not to take you immediately…" Naruto's breath hitched, and his voice trailed off as Sasuke moved under him, his hips arching into those of the man above him. Finally, when he found his breath, he smiled against the pale skin of Sasuke's neck. "But I love the way you look when you can't take any more. When you're close to losing your mind…it's…exquisite torture." At his final words, Naruto settled his entire weight down onto him, the profound sensation of this contact shooting sparks through Sasuke's whole body.

His eyes closed, and he found himself panting at the feeling of Naruto as if he had never been with him before. This was an entirely new feeling. Of all the times they had made love, Sasuke could keep some form of composure. If he did lose it, it returned soon thereafter. The way he felt at the moment, as if he were dying, yet more alive than ever before…he did not want it to end, yet he wanted Naruto so badly that nothing else mattered. He breathed against his lover's neck, "Stop torturing yourself, Naruto. Please…I need you…now." Teeth nipped at his shoulder, and he sighed, but this torture was too much now. His arousal was now becoming painful, even with the pleasurable feeling of Naruto moving against him. It wasn't enough. It was never enough. Nothing was, except him. "I want you to make love to me, right now."

Torture. It really was torture. Naruto's body lifted from his, and though he wished it back, he also was glad that he would not have to endure much more of the other man's teasing. As it was, he felt as if he were going to burn alive, his desire was so great. The fire behind those half-closed blue eyes was enough to do the job, and he found himself watching them, as they became his whole world. Naruto filled him slowly, as if he were still intent on teasing, but it only lasted as long as Sasuke let it.

Long, pale legs encircled a broad back, pulling Naruto closer, deeper. "God…" warm lips rasped next to his ear, "Why?"

Confused again, but still enveloped in bodily pleasure, Sasuke gasped, "What?"

Moving slowly, and trembling like a leaf in the breeze, Naruto's eyes locked on his, and he said, "Why can I never get used to you? I always feel this way. Why do you do this to me?" If his heart had not already been pounding, he thought it would have tried to jump from his chest. "You do this to me every time. It doesn't matter—" his voice cracked as Sasuke pulled him in again, trying to make him stop talking with his mouth. "—where we are…what time it is…I always feel…aaah…as if you could pull me in and…never let me go…" Naruto kissed his lips, soft and slow, then finished his original thought, "…and I don't care."

Sasuke's last bit of self-possession broke just then, and he pulled Naruto in with his arms, his legs, his body, and everything. It was the most exquisitely beautiful, painful, wonderful and sad thing anyone had ever said to him. Naruto had stopped moving at all, simply relishing the total embrace he was in. For an instant, Sasuke's lust cleared, and he just held the one thing in the world that was more important, more sacred to him than anything. Then, just as with the first time they were together, Naruto lifted him up, and he found his back against a wall.

No more words were spoken, for none were needed. Hot flesh spoke for their voices and their hands were only laced together on either side of Sasuke's head, as the language of their bodies became heated, fast, and nearly feverish. In the instant that each of them spilled themselves out for the other, Sasuke was certain he heard Naruto begin to weep.

Riding high on the euphoria of their actions, they almost floated down to the floor, and landed in a tangled, hot, and slick mass of limbs, desire, and whispered words. When they had sufficiently recovered, they found it necessary to collect their clothing quite quickly.

The door was suddenly slammed open with a heavy smack. Both men turned toward the intruder, Sasuke ready to deliver a blistering set down.

Kira, the young girl stood there, her hair a mess, face blackened, and smoke began pouring into the room. Panting, she said, "N-Naruto-san, please…the back door. You're not safe here!" Sasuke scrambled up from the floor, hurriedly gathering his clothes and rushing over to the door while dressing as Naruto checked on the girl, who had promptly fallen to the floor. Before they left, Naruto threw on his clothing, and then took up Kira in his arms and left the way she had come in.

Smoke clogged the hallway, the rest of the teahouse engulfed in flames. How had they not heard anything? Sasuke suddenly felt himself being pulled by the sleeve, rather roughly, and being dragged out of a door that he had no idea had been there. His feet scraped along the floor at Naruto's fast pace, and he became disoriented by the twists and turns of the narrow hallway they took from the room after Naruto made sure that the door was closed and secured against the event of pursuit. Soon after this, he found himself shoved out into the back alley of Falling Leaves, and the young woman Kira being shoved into his arms.

"Naruto?" He asked as the man turned to go round to the front of the building.

When the shorter man looked at him, he saw only anger. What was he planning? Was he planning, or even thinking? Sasuke's panic rose even higher when he saw Naruto pick up a piece of steel pipe. "Naruto, please. Let's just go."

Blue eyes, like deep glacial ice, bored into him. "Sasuke, this is because we're here. I know it is. You know what that means." Indeed, he knew that there was at least one member of the Akatsuki Federation nearby, and that chances were, both he and Naruto had been the targets for the fire. It was also highly likely that the area was surrounded. Closing his eyes, Sasuke bit his lip.

"What are we going to do?" He asked, hoping that Naruto did have a plan in his head, and not just thoughts of vengeance.

"_You_ are going to get her out of here. Take her to one of the neighboring shops. I'm going to kill someone." Sasuke's eyes widened at the tone he'd used. Naruto's voice was devoid of any feeling once he'd stopped talking about Kira. Now, he only scanned the opening of the alley for movement. Turning briefly to Sasuke, he said, "Move!" The taller man jumped, startled by the sudden force behind Naruto's voice. He felt almost compelled to obey the blonde man. Naruto's eyes softened momentarily, and he moved toward Sasuke, taking hold of his kimono. Placing a chaste kiss on his thin, bruised lips, he said, "Don't get caught. I don't want to have to mourn you, _koibito_."

* * *

Lee watched as Sakura sat next to one of the most dangerous men in the world. She was a wonder. How she kept her composure, he was not certain. He had met many people in his life, yet none of them surprised him so many times as she had. She had beauty, grace, sweetness, and a fiery nature that he could not help but admire. But she also had the ability to deceive. As he sat and kept an eye on her interactions with Zetsu, he wondered if anything she had done or said in his presence was true. Was it all a lie?

He pushed those thoughts away. This was a job. Nothing more. If Lee ever thought of it as anything more, and it turned out that he was wrong, it could prove deadly. It was certain that she worked for someone within the yakuza, but he had no way of knowing whom. All he had to do was observe, and report. That was all. No one suspected him, other than her. An alarming thought occurred to him just then. What if she worked for the Akatsuki? What if that was the reason she seemed so at ease with Zetsu? Did they know one another? Were they lovers? Friends?

A hundred or so questions ranged rapidly through Lee's mind as he sat pretending to be engrossed in a conversation with a small man who was involved in arms dealing. If she did work for them, and she found out his true purpose, he would have to kill her. Something in his chest constricted at the very thought. _Gods…let us hope that it does not come to that…

* * *

_**A/N:** I hope you liked that. I'm still trying to stem the bleeding from the strawberry scene.

**shamisen--** a stringed instrument, meant to be plucked.

**sumimasen--**"excuse me," or "sorry".

**koibito-- ** "sweetheart", a pet name.


	12. Burning Night

**A/N: **Here's chapter 12, for you. It's a shorter wait because I wrote most of it the same night that I did chapter 11. This is because I wanted to finish the fire and strawberry scene. Didn't I tell you guys that the strawberry scene was hot? This chapter's a bit more light-hearted...oh, wait. No it isn't. I totally for got about the beginning, especially. My main content warning: Character death. No, neither of our boys die. But you know how Naruto said he was going to kill someone after he picked up that pipe? Yeah.

Oh, and that website I tried to put up last time, without success, is www. ichiroya. com. They rock.

Warnings:

**V--**arson, beating, death, blood, gore

**Psy--**Naruto has a bit of a breakdown, and there's a bit of pyromania at the beginning

**Y--**while there's no lemon in this chapter, Sasuke does show his love.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.

--

**Chapter 12:** Burning Night

A light, airy smile pulled at the corners of full lips, behind a cascade of platinum blonde hair. It was truly beautiful. The brightness of it all, the movement, all of the scintillating sounds…it was art. The building had been so boring before. Now, as it burned, all of the people still inside, he could listen to screams, coughs, and the creaking of burning wood. He could see the sinuous patterns the flames made, and relish it all. His reflection on this latest masterpiece was interrupted rather abruptly when he heard a voice behind him which sent chills through him. "Deidara, I presume?"

Turning, the arsonist saw a young man with blonde hair, and strange scars on his face. His eyes were the color of mid-winter skies, and they held cold, sharp malice within them. One eyebrow rose as Deidara smiled, then replied cattily, "And if I am?"

The young man smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. "Then I would say that today is a good day for you to die." The hate was gone now. No emotion. None at all. Deidara was beyond shocked. For someone to kill, there must be some reason, some emotion or feeling behind it. Even men who were hired murders and assassins killed because they had the need for the money, or they loved it. Soldiers fought for causes, for their families. The yakuza mostly fought for their own gains, though greed was definitely an emotion. He himself wished for the deaths of others so that he could revel in the beauty of their final struggles. For him, death was love. So Deidara stepped a pace backward, watching this man who was devoid of all emotion, and was frightened.

Keeping his voice as level as he could, he said, "And who might you be, o Angel of Death?" He nearly smiled to himself. He might be a bit melodramatic, but it made life more interesting. And, the language was beautiful, so why not use it to its utmost benefit?

Icy blue eyes narrowed at him and that stare seemed to grow colder, if at all possible. The man then said, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto." Deidara gaped at the man who was supposed to be dead. How had he gotten out? He had the place surrounded…and yet this man escaped. If he had, then the Uchiha had, as well. Damn. He did not have time to think long on this, for Naruto swung the meter-long section of pipe at him, and he had to jump back before it took his head off. "Now, now…" the younger man said, "stand still Deidara-san. This will only take a moment." His tone was that of a teacher scolding a small child. For a very long time, Deidara had hated that kind of patronizing voice. He watched the young man's face, a snarl on his own lips in contrast to the blank stare he was getting in return.

The arsonist jumped to one side, evading a charge, but soon found that it was only a feint. The hard steel of the pipe collided with the rear portion of his ribs, and he felt at least three of them break instantly. After a moment, Deidara found it difficult to breathe, and there was a sharp pain in his lower right chest. Had one of his ribs punctured his lung? The wheezing breaths he was taking told him that his assertion was correct. As Deidara staggered backward blindly, he wondered what would happen. Would he really be killed? His eyes strayed to the flames of the building, which were now at their peak. His labored breathing caught in his chest at the beauty of it all.

If he did die, it would be all right. He got to see such a sight one last time, create one last masterpiece. Deidara did, however, curse himself for not having brought a weapon another body would have fueled the flames nicely. A dark silhouette stood against the brightness, and he saw it approach. There was one last jolt of pain—in his neck, this time—and he knew no more.

--

Panting, Naruto stood over the body of the dead man. Vengeance was a hollow feeling. He had not fought back, and made very little attempt at evading his blows. Breathing deeply, he tried to find peace with himself. It was difficult, since the man had not even protested. He had simply looked past him, or through him, with a strange smile on his face. Deidara, he knew, was an arsonist. He had killed hundreds of people in Malaysia, where he was born. Now, his pyromania would claim no more lives. But Naruto still found himself unable to cope with murdering the man. Would it be the same when he killed Kisame?

After a long moment of standing there, staring down at the man's surprisingly beautiful face, he turned away, flinging his makeshift weapon into the flames of Falling Leaves. Closing his eyes, he said a short prayer for those inside, who had now stopped screaming. The roof had caved in, and Naruto was now very certain that he, Sasuke, and Kira were the only ones to get out of the place alive. That thought made him want to cry, and kill something all at once. Impotent rage was the worst feeling a man could have. It was the helplessness. Nothing could possibly make a man feel more helpless than not being able to help those he wished to. And now, there were dozens of people dead and burning to cinders in the building before him.

On an impulse, he picked up a piece of charred glass from the pavement. Naruto bent low over Deidara's body—more specifically, over his face—and used the razor-sharp point of the glass to carve two _kanji_ into the effeminate man's forehead. _Seigi_. Justice, written in flesh and blood. Naruto could now hear sirens in the distance. That would be the fire brigade, but also the police. Turning on his heel, he threw the glass into the fire and ran. Through alleys, down three separate streets, and finally, he found his apartment. When he banged on the door, it took Sasuke only seconds to unlock it.

"Gods…Naruto! Are you all right?" Sasuke's face fell into a worried expression at the blank look Naruto's eyes held.

Waving him off, Naruto said slowly, "I'm fine, Sasuke. Just need…to wash off the blood." He felt strangely numb, and wondered why. As if seeing it for the first time, he raised his hands before his face, staring curiously at them. _Odd... it's still wet._ The blood had yet to dry on his skin. It was still bright red. When Sasuke began sputtering at the sight of his gore-spattered hands, he took hold of the man's shoulders, and kissed him forcefully. The taint from his hands soaked into the dark red of Sasuke's kimono, blending almost perfectly into the fabric as Naruto slid his hands over the silk. The numbness seemed to lessen when he touched the other man, and he longed for it to leave him completely. After a few moments of this searing, heart-stopping kiss, Naruto pulled away, and realized that he had been weeping.

Slender arms surrounded him, and he dimly heard Sasuke's distracted voice. "I made sure Kira got to the hospital, Naruto. She'll be all right. You…you need to get cleaned up, _ne_?" Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that Sasuke was trying not to baby him. But right now, he felt so…detached that he didn't care. He wanted feeling back. Heat, cold, pain, pleasure…it all seemed so far away. Not even Sasuke's embrace gave him any sense of feeling, really. Naruto blinked slowly at the sensation of being pulled.

--

Sasuke glanced nervously back at Naruto. He just stood there. What was wrong with him? What happened after he'd gone with Kira? What had he done? When they got up to Naruto's bedroom, he removed both his clothing and that of his lover before pulling him into the bathroom. There was going to be no polite way to snap Naruto out of this…funk? Trance? Whatever it was, he wanted his idiot back. He wanted his smile, his glare. Where was he?

He thought back to when he was a young boy, and how he had trouble waking up in the morning at times. His father would toss cold water on him. This was either going to bring back his _dobe_, or get him killed. Either way, he'd break whatever spell the man seemed to be under. Standing Naruto next to the shower door, he stuck his hand inside, and turned on the cold water. When he was satisfied with the frigid temperature, he grabbed the man roughly by one arm, flung him into the shower and shut the door, pressing his back to the glass.

"Eieyeeyey!" Came the very satisfying response to the icy water. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief when Naruto screeched, "_Teme! What the fuck?_" He then opened the shower door to see a shivering, glaring Naruto, and he smiled. Reaching behind him, he turned on the hot water, and waited for it to kick in. "Sasukeeee…" That threatening tone made him wary, but also made him grab at Naruto and pull him against his chest.

"_Daijoubu,_ Naruto?" He asked this when he felt the stuttering breaths the blonde was taking, knowing that he was trying not to sob. "Naruto, what happened?"

"I…" Tanned arms encircled his waist, the hot water beating down on his skin, and Naruto's hands gripped either side of his back, almost painfully. "I killed him." His voice was so pained, Sasuke wondered why. Who was it that he had killed? If it were a member of Akatsuki, he was sure that it would be fine. Nothing should make him this way if it involved them.

"Killed who?" he asked softly, trying not to prod him too much.

"Deidara…the arsonist. He didn't even resist, Sasuke. It was horrible." Naruto's voice in his ear made him wince. He sounded as if he were going to break down. If that happened, Sasuke didn't know what he would do. He wasn't very good at this sort of thing. As Naruto trembled in his arms, he wished that he knew better how to handle this. He wished that he could ask his mother for advice. She always knew what to do when someone was upset. When he was a small boy, and would be frightened by whatever monsters were in his closet, or under his bed at any given time, she would always run her fingers through his hair and murmur words of comfort as she held him close. There were times when he remembered falling asleep with his head in her lap as she did just that. Could he do that for Naruto? Calm him? Bring him back to a better state of mind?

Hesitantly, he reached up, threading his fingers through damp golden hair. "It's okay, Naruto…think of something else for now."

In the midst of a strangled sob, Naruto breathed miserably, "Think of what?"

Indeed. What did one think of to take one's mind off of the fact that they had just murdered someone in cold blood? For the first time? Then, his mind found something that may work. Holding the traumatized man tightly, he kissed a drenched shoulder. "Think of me…think of how much I love you, Naruto. There are things worth holding on to…worth fighting for. Think of those things." In response, he received a squeeze, and Naruto pulled away from him slightly, looking up at him with a very sad smile.

"Thank you." Naruto said before Sasuke found himself being kissed tenderly, hands holding his face there, as if he would try to pull away. When their lips parted, Naruto's forehead rested against his own, and he heard, "Thank you for this. I…I can't imagine…" a ragged breath was taken, "…I can't imagine what I'd do without you." Now, Sasuke was on point of tears, as well. Damn it. Sometimes, he wished he really could be as much of a bastard as people thought he was. Then, he wouldn't have to be so damned emotional. But when he saw Naruto's eyes, that thought disappeared, and once again, he was thankful that fate had brought them together.

"Let's get cleaned up, Naruto." Sasuke said, and took up the soap and a washcloth. "I think you need to rest."

--

"So that's all I have to do, is it?" He scoffed. The one-eyed man sitting across from him fixed him with a steady gaze, however, and he sobered again. "Kakashi, you know I could do this in my sleep, right?" The man simply nodded, and Jiraiya rolled his eyes. Why didn't they just get Naruto to do it? The kid was more than proficient, and he knew he could handle it. What was stopping them? Why did they need the master, when the student was in much better condition? Ah, well.

"Just do what we've asked of you, _ojisan_. Then, you can go back to the temple, and write more. I do love your latest work…"

"_Hai, hai._" Jiraiya rose from his chair, and left the room to collect his things. He didn't need much. Just a small knapsack. One didn't carry much on this sort of job.

--

Frustration. That was it. She was…frustrated. Why else would she be hurling knives at her target in the dojo at this hour? From where she sat, the black and white board was barely visible in the half-light of the room. Her night-dress hung off of her shoulder, and she roughly shoved the strap back up. "Damn it…" Another of her knives whistled through the air, and she heard the satisfying sound of it connecting with the wood of her target.

There was nothing she could do about her current feeling of unease. She knew that they were going to be taking out the Akatsuki soon, but she had this horrible feeling that something was going to happen to the two people on Hokkaido she actually cared about.

Her sister…Ino fingered her knives, which were sitting in a shiny pile in her lap. What in the seven hells was the woman thinking? Ino had thought she was insane for accepting that damned emissary job from Sasuke, but her reward had been enough to make up for the fact that Gaara could have killed her the moment she slapped him. Her eyes closed when she thought of him. She wanted him to be with her. She wanted…him. That was a large part of her frustration. But mostly, it was worry. Gaara could, she thought, possibly handle himself when it came to any of the members of that organization of murderers, arsonists, and rapists.

Sakura, now she was another story. The younger woman was, in some ways, tough as nails. But there were things that no one else knew about her. She was innocent in ways that Ino never had been. Naïve at times to the point of being utterly annoying, Sakura had the ability to make anyone trust her. Most times, it worked to her benefit. But there would come a time when her innocence would be her undoing. Now, the _baka _was doing Kankarou a favor. Ino growled at the thought of that idiot. He had taken her sister away from her. The next time she saw him, she would be sure to carve him a new…something.

The moron, stupid girl, had decided that she could handle the discovery of Akatsuki's leader. No one had ever gotten close enough to discover that. No one. Something else was bothering her about this. The man had placed her in the home of this…idiot named Rock Lee. Who the hell was he? What was he doing flirting with Akatsuki?

Ino's frustration blossomed into anger, and anger rose in waves, turning into absolute fury. She picked up her remaining knives and hurled them as hard as she could at the wood on the opposite wall, hearing all five of them hit. Suddenly, the lights flicked on, and she turned her head to the door, only to find Kakashi staring at her balefully.

"It's a bit late to be practicing this sort of thing, isn't it?"

"_Gomen, _Kakashi-sensei. I'm just worried about Sakura."

Fixing her with his dark eye, he leaned his head on the door-frame. "She can take care of herself, Ino."

"Not this time, Kakashi. She's in over her head, and she knows it." Ino rose from the floor, leaving all her knives in the wall. She failed to see where they had ended up. Little did she know that every last one was within the innermost ring of the bull's eye. As she swept past him, Kakashi's fingers closed on her arm. "Let me go, Kakashi."

He released her, but his voice followed her down the hallway, "Have a little faith in her, Ino. I do." She didn't answer him as she went into her room. How the hell would he know anything? He had just taught them. Sakura was her _sister_, for the love of God. Ino felt that she had every right to be protective of her. In any case, she knew that she would not be getting much in the way of sleep for a while.

--

Exhausted, Sakura sagged the moment she entered her room. It had been a long night, indeed. The guests had stayed far too long, and now, she had to try to get all of her clothes off without the help of the maids, who were all asleep. Lee had told them all to go to bed and clean up in the morning, since the party was running late. She stood before her small vanity, removing her smaller articles before beginning to undress. Once all of the ornaments were gone from her hair, she shook out the mass of now-black stuff, letting it fall down her back. Heaving a sigh, Sakura looked at herself.

She frowned for a moment. "This is not me…" Her voice was a frustrated whisper as her fingers pulled at her clothes, trying to take away the evidence of her transformation. After she pulled off several pieces from her waist, something clattered to the floor. The fan Lee had given her. It lay there, in the cloth sheath, and she hurriedly bent to snatch it up. Would it do for her to treat his gift in such a way? Sakura placed the fan gently down on the table-top, then ran her fingers over it thoughtfully as her other hand tugged at the knot behind her.

"Damn it…" she muttered, looking over her shoulder to see that she had made quite a mess of things. Nearly a meter of cloth dragged on the floor as she trudged over to the full-length mirror in the opposite corner, so that she could get a better look at the fruits of her ineptitude. Standing sideways, she could see half of the knot, and Sakura reached behind her to pick at it. Finally, she'd had enough. Gripping the remaining layers of fabric, she stood as straight as possible before yanking them all swiftly in a counter-clockwise motion around her body. "Ha! Got you, you bastard…" Sakura swore coarsely under her breath as she chuckled at the knot that had been mocking her a moment earlier.

Now that she could reach it, the matter was rather simple to resolve. Her fingers picked at two rather tight areas of the knot, and then she was able to fully untie it and throw the three-meter-long strip of cloth across the room with a growled curse. All that remained was to remove the two ties that held the kimono shut, and then she could take everything off and actually be comfortable. Cloth snapped as these pieces joined the obi, and Sakura shrugged out of her kimono, placing it gently on the stand next to the mirror. She might not care what happened to the rest, but that green silk garment had been a gift, and she wasn't going to throw it on the floor.

The under-_kimono_, she practically ripped off and threw it into the pile on the floor. Now completely nude, she breathed a sigh of relief. Debating with herself as to whether she would bathe or not before bed, she decided that it might help her to sleep. So, she padded into the bathroom, and turned on the tap before returning to her room for her hair-brush. When she stepped into the room, she found that she was not alone. Blinking at the man standing next to her bed, she said, "Zetsu-san?" Sakura was honestly surprised. She had thought the strange man had left with the rest of the dinner guests.

It took only four of the tall man's steps to bring him to stand before her. When he did, he looked down at her with a kind of strange fascination that she found to be rather frightening. He was two sides of the same coin. Polar opposites wrapped up in one man. Even his appearance was strange. He wore a black and white kimono, to match his hair, which was black and spiky, but for sleek white bangs which hung down into his eyes and below his chin. One of his eyes had been damaged, and its pupil was the entire width of its iris, causing him to look very strange indeed. His calm and genteel voice said, "My apologies for coming upon you so suddenly, Sakura-san. But I wonder if I might speak with you in private, away from Lee-san. He seems rather…protective of you."

Trying not to sound as shocked as she was, Sakura gathered up a silk robe and wrapped it around herself casually, feigning a chill. "Certainly, Zetsu-san. Please, sit." He sat in a chair near her bed, and she seated herself opposite him on the very edge of the foot of the bed, absently combing her fingers through her hair as she looked at him. "What can I do for you?"

The man leaned back in his chair and pursed his lips. In turn, Sakura cocked her head to one side, keeping her posture, and face devoid of any tension. "I wonder if Lee-san would spare you tomorrow evening? I have an engagement that I must attend, and I lack an escort. Would you be willing, given his permission, to accompany me?" Sakura nodded her assent, and he smiled. "Thank you, Sakura-san. I will discuss this with Lee-san, and if he agrees, I will send over something…appropriate for you to wear." For some reason, Sakura did not like the sound of that. She hoped that it was a simple dinner party, or some kind of similar function. But something in the back of her mind told her that may not be the case.

Zetsu rose, and bowed his exit, and Sakura sagged against the bed once he was gone. Was she perhaps getting a little too soft for this job? Maybe that was why she felt as if her heart were going to explode? Walking shakily back into the bathroom, she turned off the water and shed her bathrobe. It was warm and soothing, and rose to just beneath her breasts.

Sakura leaned back, her head resting on the marble edge of the bath. It felt as if her body would simply melt into the water. The room was silent, and she listened to the stillness as she relaxed almost completely. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing slow. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that she was falling asleep. A small noise had her sitting bolt upright, however. It sounded as if someone were approaching the bathroom. "Hello? Is someone there?" She asked anxiously, watching the door. If Zetsu was back, she was going to really have to hold back her temper. It wouldn't do to screw things up just when she was being trusted. Especially when he tended to get violent with those who he felt were trying to pull the wool over his eyes.

The sound persisted, but Sakura got no answer. That was enough for her. She sliently removed herself from the bath, and pulled the robe around her, the pale green silk sticking to her like a second skin and becoming irritatingly translucent. The noise was still there. What was that? Sakura slowly approached the door, and peeked through the small crack that remained. Her eyebrows tried to climb into her hairline. Throwing the door open, she stumped into the room.

"Lee? What on earth are you doing?" It was actually quite simple what he was doing. The man was obviously much more inebriated than she'd last seen him, because he was trying to haul himself up onto her bed, without the slightest bit of success. He kept slipping and falling back to the floor.

"S-sakura-s-s-saaaan…" Lee's eyes widened as they drifted down her body, and she glanced at herself, gasping at what she saw. The silk was wet, revealing every little detail of what lay beneath. And the drunken man was ogling her for all he was worth, a very idiotic smile plastered over his face.

Sakura started to become only the slightest bit irritated by this. Snapping her fingers before the man's face, she said, "Oi! I'm up _here_." This last was said while she was pointing at her own face. His eyes followed the movement to her face. "Lee, what are you doing in my room? And you're so drunk! What happened?"

She only got one word out of him. "Sake."

"I can tell." Sakura groused before deciding that she'd just do him the favor of letting him sleep it off where he was. When she grabbed him and threw him bodily onto the bed, he flopped on his stomach, and instantly took one of her pillows to hold as if it were a stuffed animal. He looked so much like a little boy that she couldn't help but smile. After a long moment, she sighed, and went to the closet to get a night dress to sleep in. There was no way she was going to lay anywhere near him with that clingy little robe on. Not with the way he was looking at her.

When she got back to the bed, he was snoring. She gave a small snort, and smiled a little at him. He was probably the strangest person she ever met, next to that Zetsu. Laying down on the opposite end of the bed from him, she yanked the covers over them both, and turned out the light. Vaguely, Sakura wondered what kind of hangover he'd have in the morning.

--

**A/N:** Sorry it was so short. It's really getting close to that time, isn't it? The plan is coming together! Everyone is on edge. And I'm sure you guys are still wondering why Naruto's dad was targeted by Akatsuki? Ho, you'll find out later. Just like I'm sure you're curious what Jiraiay's going to do. Hehehe. Wait and see...


End file.
